Qatar denied extra capacity into Australia

[Pushka]

A basic principle of price is supply and demand. There’s plenty of demand. Supply is being crippled. Up go the prices.

 

[OATEK]

In the AFR piece it says:
In yet another flawless turn of luck for Qantas, the government appears to have quite cynically conflated Qatar Airways’ air rights with an incident three years ago at Doha Airport when five Australian women were forced to undergo grossly invasive searches by Qatari police.

Nobody is minimising that abomination, which is now the subject of a class action, but since when does the misconduct of police have any place in the consideration of market access for an airline? Presumably since it became the only pretence the government could contrive of.

Once again it ignores the fact that the agreement encapsulated in the treaty is between governments, one of which has the responsibility for that very police force.

 

[levelnine]

Once again it ignores the fact that the agreement encapsulated in the treaty is between governments, one of which has the responsibility for that very police force.

Everyone knows this was done to protect Qantas from competitors. Only the naive believe otherwise. If it were done to protect human rights, Australia would have about 5 airlines flying into/out of the country.

As the article tellingly notes:

At a Labor Party fundraiser in Brisbane in May, Anthony Albanese told donors that the Qantas-Emirates alliance was one of his proudest achievements as transport minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments.

And we all know the UAE is a proud defender of human rights.

 

[OATEK]

Everyone knows this was done to protect Qantas from competitors. Only the naive believe otherwise. If it were done to protect human rights, Australia would have about 5 airlines flying into/out of the country.

As the article tellingly notes:

And we all know the UAE is a proud defender of human rights.

Obviously not everyone has the narrow view you ascribe.

Interesting to note the article in the Australian today about lower airfares in 2024:

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/european-holiday-posts-unleash-massive-rush-on-bookings-for-2024-season/news-story/373544400142290c5a458108ae76e86b

Here is a couple of examples from the article"

 

[levelnine]

Obviously not everyone has the narrow view you ascribe.

The next sentence of my post provides the alternative.

 

[justinbrett]

Naive are people who think there's only one layer to every story.

 

[levelnine]

Or who volunteer to do free PR for corporations .

 

[justinbrett]

Or who volunteer to do free PR for corporations .

Proving my point exactly.

 

[levelnine]

Proving my point exactly.

Glad we're in agreement again .

 

[Jstr]

What different airlines are there that do not yet fly to Australia? All the big hub-and-spoke airlines already fly into Australia: EK, EY, SQ, TG, NH, JL, MH, OZ, UL, CX, GA etc etc etc. TK is about to start. There's no airline that would want to fly to Australia that is being blocked by Qatar's presence.

It's clear that Qantas is the primary beneficiary of this block and the primary opponent to it. Only Qantas has sufficient political connections to move the needle.

You can't blame Qantas in the sense that if Qatar had greater access to the big ports they'd stand lose even more of their international premium traffic. They can't compete on destination list or product quality.

Then, in accordance with an efficient market, if Qantas can’t compete, they should be allowed to whither and die. Artificially limiting competition inflates prices, resulting in consumer’s spending power being siliently and unknowingly diverted from other industries. When Qantas is propped up, every other Aussie business pays the price. From what I have experienced on the few Qantas flights I’ve taken, they deserve to go to the wall.

Obviously not everyone has the narrow view you ascribe.

Interesting to note the article in the Australian today about lower airfares in 2024:

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/european-holiday-posts-unleash-massive-rush-on-bookings-for-2024-season/news-story/373544400142290c5a458108ae76e86b

Here is a couple of examples from the article"
View attachment 337449

So what is your "wide" view then?

And what exactly is so mysteriously interesting about the fare being lower in 2024 cf 2023?

 

[anyonebutqantas]

Next time you can't speak to the Qantas call centre, you can't book an award flight online due to website glitches, or you have your usual experience of surly staff affronted at being asked to provide you with a basic service, remember that this behaviour is rewarded and protected by the Federal Government.

 

[OATEK]

So what is your "wide" view then?

That many will see this as multi-layered rather than just a protection racket for QF.

And what exactly is so mysteriously interesting about the fare being lower in 2024 cf 2023?

That prices are expected to come down substantially without QR gaining the extra spots. Not saying it is "mysteriously" interesting, just interesting.

 

[justinbrett]

Ambassador to Qatar

Today I announce the appointment of Mr Shane Flanagan as Australia's next Ambassador to Qatar.

www.foreignminister.gov.au

Interesting timing - wonder if this has anything to do with it?

Big decisions are rarely made during post changeovers

 

[drron]

Ambassador to Qatar

Today I announce the appointment of Mr Shane Flanagan as Australia's next Ambassador to Qatar.

www.foreignminister.gov.au

Interesting timing - wonder if this has anything to do with it?

Big decisions are rarely made during post changeovers

Interesting comments in that statement particularly re aviation.

The Australia-Qatar relationship is underpinned by strong commercial ties in agriculture, investment and aviation, and technical cooperation in security-related fields. More than 3,000 Australians and a growing number of Australian companies are based in Qatar.
Qatar is a valued source of foreign direct investment in Australia, with an estimated AUD 4 billion in property, infrastructure, and renewable energy.

Maybe Qatar might get a bit cheesed off with the good aviation developements and reduce direct investment in australia.

 

[RooFlyer]

They probably wanted to write:

Qatar is a valued source of foreign direct investment in Australia, with an estimated AUD 4 billion in property, infrastructure, and renewable energy. They just need to sod off when it comes to expanding the aviation market. Hopefully they'll take the hint, now.

 

[justinbrett]

Did anyone have "climate change" as the reason?

“I want more capacity for people to be able to enjoy travel, but equally I want to be able to decarbonise the transport sector, aviation has a role to play in that as well, so there’s a mix of things I look at,” she said.

Minister denies searches of Australian women in Doha behind move to block Qatar Airways

The federal transport minister is under pressure to explain the decision to block extra flights for Qatar Airways.

www.smh.com.au

 

[jase05]

Did anyone have "climate change" as the reason?

“I want more capacity for people to be able to enjoy travel, but equally I want to be able to decarbonise the transport sector, aviation has a role to play in that as well, so there’s a mix of things I look at,” she said.

Minister denies searches of Australian women in Doha behind move to block Qatar Airways

The federal transport minister is under pressure to explain the decision to block extra flights for Qatar Airways.

www.smh.com.au

From the same government approving new coal mines

 

[MooTime]

Climate change and Airlines, just faux pas.
Bring on larger J cabins, more leg room in Y, at less cost of course, ha.

 

[drron]

Did anyone have "climate change" as the reason?

“I want more capacity for people to be able to enjoy travel, but equally I want to be able to decarbonise the transport sector, aviation has a role to play in that as well, so there’s a mix of things I look at,” she said.

Minister denies searches of Australian women in Doha behind move to block Qatar Airways

The federal transport minister is under pressure to explain the decision to block extra flights for Qatar Airways.

www.smh.com.au

That certainly screams out that the reason she denied in the article was the reason she didn't approve Qatar's request. Typical politician double speak.
Now if i was Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani I would be writing to the minister saying we will issue a formal apology to the women involved in that terrible incident, compensate them generously and put on trial the official who authorised this. After extensive investigation we have identified that official. I would be confident that by some unfortunate slip up a copy of the Minister's letter went to the women's lawyers.
Next move would be to ask Qatar airlines to ask the Minister to reconsider her decision. Diplomacy in action.

 

[eastwest101]

Did anyone have "climate change" as the reason?

“I want more capacity for people to be able to enjoy travel, but equally I want to be able to decarbonise the transport sector, aviation has a role to play in that as well, so there’s a mix of things I look at,” she said.

Minister denies searches of Australian women in Doha behind move to block Qatar Airways

The federal transport minister is under pressure to explain the decision to block extra flights for Qatar Airways.

www.smh.com.au

Indeed - QR aircraft burn C02 emitting jet fuel but EK EY & QF aircraft fly on sunshine and lolly-pops.....