Virgin Australia is to ‘wet lease’ Qatar aircraft and crew for their new service. Photo: Brisbane Airport
The temporary blessing of Australia’s consumer watchdog has seen Virgin begin to sell tickets and market its new alliance with Qatar Airways.
The alliance will result in Virgin offering 28 new weekly services from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to Doha and beyond starting from June 2025.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says a final decision on the alliance is still pending.
Deputy chairman Mick Keogh said the limited approval will allow the airlines to start marketing and sales while a final decision is made.
“Affected customers will be given the option of a refund or re-accommodation on a suitable alternative flight at no additional charge and would not be out of pocket for any reasonably foreseeable costs if these proposed new services ultimately don’t get approved,” he said.
“Having this court-enforceable undertaking that protects customers was important to our decision to allow Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways to start selling tickets now.”
“The proposed deal would see Virgin Airways ‘wet lease’ Qatar Airways aircraft and crew,” Keogh says.
“We are carefully considering the concerns that interested parties raised, particularly around the wet-lease arrangements and the impact of the proposed exclusivity arrangements between Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways,” he says.
The Queensland Government and Brisbane Airport both welcomed the start of ticket sales for services out of Brisbane.
Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said the deal was a big win for Queensland.
“Not only do we get a huge boost in the number of visitors coming to see our state but our key export industry will be filling those planes’ cargo holds as they head back to the Middle East and beyond,” Powell says.
Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka says the new partnership is a gamechanger.
“Through this partnership, Virgin Australia becomes stronger, improving our ability to compete domestically …. this also gives us the ability to start long haul flying which have not been able to do over the past four and half years,” she says.
Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff says Virgin Australia’s re-entry into long haul flight was exciting.
“This is fantastic news for the Brisbane-headquartered airline and even better news for Queensland’s tourism-driven economy,” de Graaff says.
These flights will use Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777s.
Brisbane to Rome economy return tickets have been priced at $1945 and $9409 for business class.
