Qatar Airways has been denied expansion in Australia by the government.
Qatar Airways recently requested the Government of Australia to allow it to expand flights to/from the country. The same has now been rejected by the Australian government due to various reasons.
Qatar Airways has had a long history in Australia and was one of the only few airlines to serve the country continuously in the pandemic. The airline has continuously looked to build trust among its flyers to/from Australia and become a dependable airline.
It seems that the Doha-based airline had viewed its expansion in Australia as a means to take away market share from other carriers, something which is normal in the airline industry.
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The airline believed that the support it showed to the country would be appreciated and the Australian government would in turn allow the carrier to expand in the country. However, the government has decided to do the opposite.
Local Australian media reported that although Qatar Airways had state premier backing, there were potential issues at higher authorities. According to most, this move is largely to safeguard national carrier Qantas from any major competition, which Qantas has been increasingly seeing.
This is the second time in recent times that a government has refused a foreign airline to expand in the country. A few weeks ago, the Indian government denied Emirates expanded bilateral rights in order to protect the Indian airlines. The Indian government said that airlines from India should be given time to grow their market share equally. Interestingly, Emirates has been the largest foreign airline in India since many years and this move by the Indian government got mixed opinions from both sides.
Featured image by JetPhotos
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