Debrief

Insights from the world of aviation

Qantas Group News

Qantas plans to downgauge its flights between Alice Springs and Darwin from 174-seat two-class Boeing 737-800s to 100-seat all-economy Fokker 100s from October 27 2019 – a route it began flying in March. The airline said in June that the 737-800s had “proven to be bigger than needed”.
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Still in the Northern Territory, Qantas said it would start nonstop flights between Darwin and Broome, also from October 27, with Fokker 100s. The service would operate three times a week.
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Qantas announced on June 19 it has added 36 A321XLRs to the airline group’s Airbus A320neo family aircraft order book, with the extra long-range narrowbody to be delivered from 2024. The 36 aircraft comprised 10 new orders and 26 conversions from its existing order of 99 Airbus A320neo family aircraft. Qantas group chief executive Alan Joyce said the aircraft could be used by either Qantas or low-cost carrier (LCC) Jetstar. (See Paris wrap, starting Page 24).
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United States-based jetBlue has urged the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to include conditions that protect and promote competition when it approves a proposed alliance between Qantas and American Airlines. On June 3, the DOT said it had granted “tentative approval” for American Airlines and Qantas to form a joint-venture alliance on trans-Pacific routes with anti-trust immunity (ATI). JetBlue said in its submission in response to the tentative approval it was “essential that the Department’s generosity toward the most powerful carriers and alliances be matched by a similar commitment to protecting and promoting competition from smaller carriers that are not a party to one of these immunized alliances”.
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Qantas said on July 5 it had chosen Mackay in central Queensland as the second site for its proposed pilot training academy.

Virgin Australia news

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on July 4 it had granted interim authorisation to Virgin Australia to establish a deeper partnership with Virgin Atlantic for flights between Australia and the United Kingdom and Ireland via Hong Kong and Los Angeles. Interim authorisation would allow the two airlines to start implementing their alliance immediately, ahead of a final determination. The two carriers were seeking approval for working together on joint pricing, inventory management, scheduling coordination, network planning and marketing, as well as product alignment, airport operations, joint procurement and tenders for corporate contracts.
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Virgin Australia said on June 17 its trial of low-carbon aviation fuel at Brisbane Airport has clocked up one million kilometres since its inception in August 2018. The trial of the sustainable aviation fuel, made from biomass such as feedstock was being conducted in partnership with the Queensland Government, Brisbane Airport, US-based biofuel producer Gevo, as well as supply chain partners Caltex and DB Schenker.