News
Australia approves Qatar Airways 25% investment in Virgin Australia
February 28th 2025
Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) has given the go-ahead for Qatar Airways Group to purchase 25% of Virgin Australia (VA). Read More » The announcement follows an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Draft Determination published on February 18 that flagged authorization of the equity acquisition. “We thank the Federal Treasurer for his decision and join him in recognizing the positive outcome for competition, consumers and jobs growth. Today is great news for the many stakeholders that rely on Virgin Australia’s success,” Virgin Australia Group CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, said. VA now awaits a ruling from the International Air Services Commission (IASC) on an uncontested allocation of air rights for services between Australia and Qatar. They are scheduled to commence in June. IASC approval will mark VA’s return to long-haul international flying. “Domestically, we are competing well and performing stronger than at any other point in our 24-year history. Being backed by one of the world’s largest airlines gives us the scale and access to industry expertise. It will support growth in line with the market domestically, improve our ability to compete for key segments of the market and add momentum to our margin ambitions,” Hrdlicka said.
