Qatar denied extra capacity into Australia

[RooFlyer]

The comment about fully utilising access to secondary airports is also a bit rich. Remind me how well QF is utilising ADL for international flights again?

Ah, but we all know that the dominant airlines around the world don't feel obliged to fly international to the provincial capitals. They just snork up landing slots at SYD.

 

[OATEK]

Ha, in an ideal world you mean - I think I read about one of those in a book long ago, but never observed one.

I am sure that if Qatar really want those extra slots they will give the AU Government what they want. Can't help but feel their reluctance to do so tells part of the story.

More on the quid-pro-quo commentary:

"Department of Infrastructure and Transport international aviation manager Jim Wolfe urged attendees at the CAPA Centre for Aviation conference on Thursday “not to get too gloomy” about the Qatar decision."
...
“I can say that it takes two to tango,” Mr Wolfe said. “Bilateral agreements are between two countries. We might have a view and the other country might have a view and we have to try to reach agreement and at the end of the day that doesn’t always work out."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/public-servant-sheds-new-light-on-qatar-airways-decision-at-aviation-conference/news-story/0e4bbf0a38e6044b345e7b8444108416

 

[Gold Member]

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/business/2023/09/15/exp-qatar-airways-akbar-al-baker-fst091503pseg1-cnni-business.cnn

Admiral Akbar responds to King and the Australian government’s decision. Some key snippets:

“We found it to be very unfair, our legitimate request to not be granted”, and “the fact remains is that we were very surprised for getting these rights blocked or unapproved”. The vast majority of the Australian public thought so too, mate.

“You know, we can never influence a government decision”. Dunno about that. Could’ve sworn I’ve seen some local carrier do that with great success for the last 20+ years.

“We have full confidence in the government and in the parliament and in the senate of the Australian government”. No you don’t, you just called them out for being unfair. Don’t take a back step now.

“We were so supportive of Australia, repatriating the stranded citizens from around the world, helping them receive medical supplies and spare parts, etc, etc during the COVID period when the national carrier and their partners completely stopped operating to Australia – we were there for Australia.” Yep, and look where that got you. You’d think a tax payer funded local carrier with protection from the Australian Government would’ve at least made an effort.

I’m actually surprised it’s taken Akbar this long to comment on this debacle, and in an uncharacteristically mild and semi-diplomatic tone. Either way, it’s great to see the worldwide media latching on and drawing attention to the legalised corruption between Qantas and the Australian Government.

 

[SCM]

I'm very sad this news has fallen out of the news cycle this week.

 

[dajop]

I'm very sad this news has fallen out of the news cycle this week.

Not surprising. All news stories have a limited shelf life, before the media moves on. In the grand scheme of all the various issues people are facing in Australia this is not really that significant, although obviously it is of interest on AFF.

 

[evanb]

Blog post on implications of the decision:

Analytic Flying | Substack

Independent Objective Verifiable. Click to read Analytic Flying, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

analyticflying.com

 

[Pushka]

Blog post on implications of the decision:

Analytic Flying | Substack

Independent Objective Verifiable. Click to read Analytic Flying, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

analyticflying.com

Executive Summary

 

[drron]

Executive Summary

Their conclusions-

• QR have significantly increased capacity to Australia over the last decade through a combination of increased frequencies and increase of gauge.
• QR fully utilise the frequencies available to them under the bilateral agreements between Australia and Qatar, including the creative and cynical use of frequencies designed to attract capacity to secondary cities in Australia.
• While frequencies are fully utilised, QR are still able to increase capacity through increasing gauge of existing flights to MEL and/or BNE; furthermore; additional capacity is available to other secondary cities.
• QR’s strategy focuses on increasing capacity to Australia while also increasing frequency which would enable benefit QR’s operating by increasing the number of connecting options in DOH allowing them to compete more effectively with other stop-over carriers like EK and SQ.
• The impact of the additional frequencies on increasing capacity and the impact on the market are likely significantly overstated, however the increase in capacity would be dependent on QR’s strategy of how to allocate frequencies and likely adjustment of gauge on existing and additional frequencies.

So basically they are saying that QR could get the increased numbers of seats by operating an A380 to BNE and MEL. Quite likely they have a couple of spare 380's around.

 

[Himeno]

So basically they are saying that QR could get the increased numbers of seats by operating an A380 to BNE and MEL. Quite likely they have a couple of spare 380's around.

They do have a couple of A380s around. QR got 10 aircraft, 2 are still parked.
They intend to retire the A380s from 2025 as more A350s arrive.

 

[PineappleSkip]

They intend to retire the A380s from 2025 as more A350s arrive.

Ah, hence the desire for more frequency!

 

[odysseus]

Ah, hence the desire for more frequency!

Yes... but then they also intended to retire them from 2021 - but then found they would have given up revenue opportunities so brought them back.

 

[anyonebutqantas]

It would be ironic if this ends up persuading QR to maintain an A380 fleet to maximise seats to Australia.

 

[dajop]

I haven't looked in detail at QR's DOH operations, but if they are anything like EK, they probably have an interest in greater frequencies to support "waves" of flights at their hub and spread out demand between Australian and Europe in those diffferent waves, rather than just adding extra seats to the existing "wave" of flights.

 

[eastwest101]

I haven't looked in detail at QR's DOH operations, but if they are anything like EK, they probably have an interest in greater frequencies to support "waves" of flights at their hub and spread out demand between Australian and Europe in those diffferent waves, rather than just adding extra seats to the existing "wave" of flights.

I can see the logic in that argument but with post-Covid snarled up logistics and shortage of new aircraft, with manufacturers already behind schedule on deliveries of new aircraft, may as well run what you've got, rather than make unachievable plans of what should be? As all airlines have found out recently, switching off capacity is easy, turning it back on is the difficult bit.

 

[dajop]

I can see the logic in that argument but with post-Covid snarled up logistics and shortage of new aircraft, with manufacturers already behind schedule on deliveries of new aircraft, may as well run what you've got, rather than make unachievable plans of what should be? As all airlines have found out recently, switching off capacity is easy, turning it back on is the difficult bit.

I'm sure it's all very complicated managing the fleet and optimizing yield at the same time. The flipside is that it's no good running extra seats (A380's) to Australia at a time of day when the connecting flights into or out of Doha are already running very full, as most people don't want to end up in Doha, and you'll be at a competitive disadvantage if you're forcing people into a long layover in DOH to get the next wave. That would help drive down prices, but as an operator you're probably not going to get the same yields as if the connections were just a few hours and therefore a shorter travel time.

 

[Himeno]

I haven't looked in detail at QR's DOH operations, but if they are anything like EK, they probably have an interest in greater frequencies to support "waves" of flights at their hub and spread out demand between Australian and Europe in those diffferent waves, rather than just adding extra seats to the existing "wave" of flights.

They have a banked hub operation, lots of flights arriving and departing within a 2-3 hour window. 3 or 4 different banks throughout each day with 5-8 hours between each.

I've had the following connection times through DOH in the past:
1740-0140 ORD-CDG
1725-0825 DFW-OSL
0610-0800 PHL-BUD
0045-0635 VIE-LHR
0045-0750 LHR-PHL
1645-0205 IAD-BER

 

[RooFlyer]

They have a banked hub operation, lots of flights arriving and departing within a 2-3 hour window. 3 or 4 different banks throughout each day with 5-8 hours between each.

That's true, but it's not as if it's not busy at other times. Flights around the region seem to go 'off peak', like mine to SAW this morning.

 

[anat0l]

Headline on a rag today.

The numbers are being played around a bit, but I guess the message got across.

 

[odysseus]

With that sort of mafs, must be News limited.

 

[evanb]

With that sort of mafs, must be News limited.

Only 10%? Wasn't the media throwing numbers of 40% around a few weeks back?