Qatar Airways says the Australian government’s decision to block its request for extra flights was “very unfair” given the airline’s support for Australians during the pandemic.
The airline’s bid to fly an extra 21 services into Australia’s major airports was rejected with ministers citing a range of reasons including it being contrary to the national interest.
Qatar Airways chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, told CNN he was “very surprised” when the request was blocked. His comments were made while welcoming the US government’s decisions to approve more Qatar flights in the country.
“We found it to be very unfair [for] our legitimate request to be not granted, especially at a time when we were so supportive of Australia,” Al Baker said.
“[We were] repatriating their stranded citizens from around the world to and out of Australia, helping them receiving medical supplies and spare parts etc during the Covid period,” Al Baker said.
“The national carrier and its partners completely stopped operating in Australia. We were there for the people of Australia.”
During the pandemic, some of Qatar’s flights to Australia arrived with just 20 seats filled but services continued while the Qantas fleet was grounded. According to Prof Rico Merkert from the University of Sydney, Qatar temporarily became Australia’s “de facto international airline”.
Al Baker’s criticism comes days before a Senate committee holds public hearings to investigate why Qatar’s request for extra flights was blocked, given the lack of competition in the aviation industry.
Qantas former chief executive, Alan Joyce, has claimed that allowing Qatar the extra capacity would “distort” the local aviation market.
The chair of the inquiry, Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, has criticised the transport minister, Catherine King, for refusing to provide it with documents related to the Qatar decision.
“There is a public interest in not disclosing such discussions so the government’s negotiations over air services agreements with a range of countries can continue unimpeded,” King said last week.
McKenzie has accused the federal government of having a “cosy, personal and political relationship” with Qantas.
King was contacted for comment.
Al Baker told CNN he was aware of the Senate inquiry and was “always hopeful” the Australian government would listen to the airline’s case and reassess its request.
“We can never influence a government decision but the fact remains is that we were very surprised for getting these rights blocked or unapproved,” Al Baker told CNN.
McKenzie conceded the former Coalition government had knocked back Qatar Airways in the past and said the committee would look at previous decisions to help open up the aviation market.
A broad chorus of aviation and travel industry groups have backed Qatar’s bid for expanded capacity, with many desperate to increase international flight capacity and add more seat supply into the market to bring down air fares.
State premiers have supported the flights as a boost to tourism and economic activity – some of the more generous estimates of this economic benefit put the value as high as $1bn from the extra flights.
Virgin Australia – a partner airline of Qatar Airways – supported the extra flights.
Former and current chiefs of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission have also agreed the extra flights would put downward pressure on international air fares.
