The planned tie-up between Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways has cleared an important hurdle, with the competition watchdog saying it doesn’t have a problem with the deal. Under the proposed deal, Virgin, in partnership with Qatar Airways, will launch 28 new weekly return services between Doha and Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Qatar Airways would operate the new flights through its aircraft and crew, in what is known in the aviation industry as a “wet lease” arrangement. The flights would be in direct competition with Qantas’ international operations.