Qatar Airways comes back to Canberra as decision looms on Virgin investment and flights
Qatar Airways is banking on a return to Australia’s capital to help its campaign of buying a stake in Virgin Australia and increasing the number of its own flights.
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Qatar Airways will return to Canberra by the end of next year in a move aimed at helping the airline’s campaign to buy a 25 per cent stake in Virgin Australia and double its flights out of the major airports.
The daily flights will operate via Melbourne to Doha, using Boeing 777s featuring Qatar’s popular QSuite configuration and fitted with high speed Wi-Fi.
Qatar chief executive Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said the airline was “delighted to be able to serve Canberra once again”.
“The nation’s capital, the political heart of Australia, rightly expects to be served by a range of international airlines and I am proud that we are able to play our part in that,” Mr Al-Meer said.
“Whether travelling for business, government services or leisure, our commitment to Australia and to Canberra will bring much-needed healthy competition to the market, and greater choice for passengers.”
The announcement comes as the Foreign Investment Review Board considers whether to allow Qatar to take a 25 per cent stake in Virgin Australia, in a deal that will see the carrier become a cornerstone investor in the airline. As part of the deal, the two airlines will enter a “wet lease arrangement” whereby Qatar will provide aircraft, pilots and crew for flights sold and marketed by Virgin Australia.
The proposal has been given interim authorisation by the competition watchdog to allow Virgin to start taking bookings, with a final determination due in March or April.
It follows last year’s rejection by the Albanese government of Qatar Airways’ application to increase its flights into Australia by 28 a week. The decision was met with widespread dismay among travel companies, airports and state governments, and triggered a Senate inquiry to examine the reasons.
Canberra Airport chief executive Stephen Byron said Qatar ceased operations to the capital during the pandemic, making the announcement a significant milestone. “The return of Qatar Airways marks an exciting and pivotal moment for Canberra and our surrounding regions,” Mr Byron said.
“This service not only provides over a million residents access to connections spanning 170 destinations but also invites the world to rediscover Canberra’s unique cultural, educational, and tourism offerings.”
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr echoed those sentiments, saying the flights would help the government reach its goal of growing the local tourism economy to a $5bn industry by 2030.
“It’s a timely boost to our local tourism industry with aviation access being the biggest driver to growth in the sector,” he said.
“Qatar Airways’ return will benefit the whole Canberra region,” Mr Barr added.
The flights are separate to those being sold by Virgin Australia, and are currently awaiting regulatory approval.
A Virgin spokesman said it was “one aspect of a broader ambition to bring more competition, greater choice and better value in flights for residents of Canberra and surrounding areas, not to mention inbound tourists”.
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