Qatar Airways gets the green light for more Australian flights

QATAR AIRWAYS AIRBUS A380-861 A7-API (MSN 235)

The Gulf carrier is set to nearly double its flights to Australia by mid-2025, capitalizing on the peak northern summer travel season. Qatar Airways plans to introduce additional daily flights to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane from mid-2025, providing travelers with more options for their journeys to Europe and the UK during the northern summer.

Tickets are anticipated to be available for purchase in the coming weeks, following the Australian government's competition watchdog granting interim authorization for Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways to collaborate on international flights, as part of Qatar's 25% equity stake in Virgin.

This marks Virgin's return to long-haul flights since early 2020, now heading west to Doha instead of east to Los Angeles, with Qatar Airways supplying the aircraft and crew.

• Sydney-Doha will increase to two daily flights from the current one. 
• Melbourne-Doha will rise to three daily flights from the current two, one of which continues to Adelaide
• Brisbane-Doha will also move to two daily flights from the current one. 
• Perth is set to join with two daily flights starting November 2025, subject to the availability of suitable long-range aircraft. 

Virgin will officially list the flights under its own VA flight number, though they will also have a QR codeshare designation and will essentially be operated by Qatar Airways. These flights will integrate seamlessly into Qatar Airways' extensive network, covering over 100 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

"Granting interim authorization now will provide Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia with the necessary lead time for planning discussions, marketing, sales, and system alignment in preparation for Virgin Australia to start operating the new services by June 2025," stated ACCC Deputy Chair Keogh.