Jake Nelson

The carrier has lodged an application with the International Air Services Commission (IASC) to launch the first three routes to Sydney, Brisbane and Perth in June 2025, using Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft configured with between 354 and 412 seats.

Flights will operate every day except Monday and Saturday as an extension to the Taiwanese carrier’s existing A350-900 service between Taipei and Melbourne over the summer period and are expected to add more than 3,000 weekly seats on the Melbourne–Auckland corridor.

In a significant intervention, the union appeared to link its support for the airline’s deal with Qatar Airways to the possible appointment of Paul Jones, who was previously a Qantas executive involved in the airline’s illegal sacking of ground workers.

The TWU said 98 per cent of workers supported the protected industrial action ballot, which was filed at the end of October, after knocking back the same proposed agreement from dnata twice by margins of 92 per cent and 94 per cent respectively.

Speaking to Adelaide’s FiveAA radio, Transport Minister Catherine King agreed that Qantas “should do better” in the city, which currently hosts nine other international carriers, and indicated she would be willing to press the Flying Kangaroo to bring back international flights.

The maiden flight TK174 touched down at 6:18pm on Friday aboard the 777-300ER TC-LJK, having flown from Istanbul via Kuala Lumpur.