Qatar Airways is still pushing to expand its flights into Australia beyond its partnership with Virgin Australia in a move that would challenge Qantas’ dominance on European flights, after the consumer watchdog gave interim approval for an extra seven flights a week.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chairman Mick Keogh said it was “hard to imagine” a situation where more flights would be a bad thing for consumers, while dismissing Qantas’ argument that granting additional flights would undermine the rules of international flying.