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Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways granted interim alliance clearance
December 2nd 2024
Virgin Australia (VA) and Qatar Airways have received the green light to establish an interim integrated alliance on flights between Australia and Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Read More » The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) interim authorisation also allows VA to sell tickets for its proposed flights to Doha from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney with aircraft wet leased from Qatar Airways. The ACCC said both airlines had agreed consumers will be protected if final approval of the alliance is not granted. “Affected customers will be given the option of a refund or re-accommodation on a suitable alternative flight at no additional charge and will not be out of pocket for any reasonably foreseeable costs if these proposed new services ultimately are not approved,” ACCC deputy chair, Mick Keogh, 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 ACCC has not reached a final conclusion on the application for the authorization of the alliance but expects to issue a draft determination in February next year.
