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PATRICK BEGLEY, REPORTER: It’s the morning rush here at Sydney international airport. In a typical year millions of passengers will travel through here but compared to before the pandemic, international travel is down across the country, and that’s raising concerns about the price of airfares and low tourism numbers.
AKBAR AL BAKER, QATAR AIRLINES CEO : The largest operator in Australia has cut its flight to 50 per cent of pre-COVID level, more than doubled the price of the fares to the Australian people in the benefit of the shareholders, whilst we are offering an alternative. PROF. RICO MERKERT, SYDNEY UNIVERSITY: My conversations with overseas colleagues, including airline CEOs, I’ve found that the majority of them are really surprised by this move.
PATRICK BEGLEY: Transport Minister Catherine King says there was a range of reasons behind her decision, but she’s been criticised for not detailing them. PATRICK BEGLEY: The Minister declined an interview with 7.30. She provided a statement which did not offer any reasons for the decision. It said, "... these are not commercial decisions about any particular airline but rather treaty-level agreements between countries.
PATRICK BEGLEY: Professor Gui Lohmann, an aviation specialist, warns too much competition could leave Qantas vulnerable, with taxpayers picking up the bill.
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