It was an act of revenge years in the making. On Tuesday, Qatar Airways announced it would buy 25 per cent of Virgin Australia, cementing its status as the bete noir of national carrier Qantas by finally gaining a meaningful foothold in one of the world’s most lucrative aviation markets.

For Qantas, the deal is an unmitigated disaster. Under its former chief executive Alan Joyce, the airline had been fighting for years to keep Qatar out of Australia. His cause was helped by a hostile Labor government that had stymied Qatar’s previous attempt to land more planes in Australia.