Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways partnership approved
February 28, 2025
Virgin Australia is set to resume long-haul international flights after its strategic partnership with Qatar Airways was given the green light by the Australian Government.
The move comes as Qatar Airways Group’s 25% minority investment in Virgin Australia received Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval, with further regulatory clearance expected in the coming months.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) signalled its intention to authorise the alliance in a Draft Determination on 18 February, with final approval expected by March or April 2025.
Virgin Australia is also awaiting a decision from the International Air Services Commission (IASC) on air rights between Australia and Qatar, which, if approved, will enable flights to commence in June.
Pending regulatory clearance, Virgin Australia will launch flights from Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth to Doha in June 2025, followed by Melbourne to Doha in December.
These routes will be operated using aircraft wet-leased from Qatar Airways.
Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said: “Today we welcome a new era for Virgin Australia. Qatar Airways’ investment is a huge vote of confidence in our business and Australian aviation more broadly. It sets us up for long-term success and adds fuel to our bold transformation agenda.
“This is a major win for Australian consumers, who are already benefiting from more choice and greater value when travelling to Europe, the Middle East and Africa since our flights went on sale in December.
“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 now gives us the scale and access to industry expertise which will support continued 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.
“Today is an incredibly proud day for everyone in the Virgin Australia team. Each of our 8,000 team members has played an important role in getting us to this point.
“Many of our people are personally excited about the secondment opportunities, and we have seen this through the extraordinary response to the expressions of interest for pilot and cabin crew roles with Qatar Airways. Virgin Australia has a bright future, and we will continue to go from strength to strength with Qatar Airways by our side.”
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Badr Mohammed Al-Meer added: “This latest development is a significant step towards solidifying the strong and enduring relationship that continues to evolve between Qatar Airways Group and Virgin Australia.
“It is also a huge boost to our shared ambition to create even greater choice and value for all Australian passengers, with healthy competition and world-class service at the very core of our collective offering.
“We are confident in our ability to deliver an alliance between our two airlines that will provide immense benefit to customers, Australian businesses, Australian jobs and the wider economy.”
