Australians will soon have more international travel options with Virgin Australia’s new partnership with Qatar Airways, which launches on December 12. The partnership will provide Australians with the ability to book flights to over 100 destinations, offering greater competition for long-haul flights to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka told NewsWire that the deal, which targets the peak European summer season, is expected to bring cheaper long-haul flights to these regions. “The partnership between Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia is going to bring much-needed competition, especially on flights to Europe,” Hrdlicka said. “Competition is great for everyone. The more opportunities and choices consumers have, the harder everyone has to work.”
While Hrdlicka stopped short of saying customers had been overpaying since the COVID-19 pandemic, she noted that prices could fall with the new partnership. “It has taken a while post-COVID for everything to return to a balanced field. This is our opportunity to help improve the competitive dynamic,” she said.
Virgin, which has been largely absent from the international market for 4½ years, is now returning to global travel through the Qatar Airways alliance. The partnership is awaiting final approvals but, starting Thursday, Virgin will begin accepting bookings for new services that will fly directly from Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth to Doha starting in June 2025. Melbourne will follow later in 2025.
Hrdlicka explained that re-entering the long-haul international market requires significant scale to be competitive. “To compete over time, you have to generate enough profit, so the partnership with Qatar gives us the ability to do this much quicker than we otherwise could,” she said.
The CEO called the collaboration with Qatar Airways a “game-changer” that would provide benefits to consumers, the Australian economy, and the aviation industry. “Partnering with Qatar Airways means we’re delivering the gold standard in global travel – seamless connections and world-class service – while increasing market competition to provide better value and fares,” Hrdlicka concluded.
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