ACCC denes QF/JL

THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission isn’t letting the short term pain of COVID-19 cloud its vision for aviation, last month formally knocking back a proposed alliance between Qantas and Japan Airlines.

The carriers had strenuously argued that they should be allowed to cooperate in order to rebuild the Australia-japan route, but ACCC Chair Rod Sims said the Commission had found the deal would “likely lead to reduced competition as international travel resumes, to the detriment of passengers travelling between Australia and Japan. Airlines have been severely impacted by the pandemic and this has been a very difficult period for them. But preserving competition between airlines is the key to the long-term recovery of the aviation and tourism sectors, once international travel restrictions are eased,” he said.