In what to me seems a rather interesting aviation decision, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, aka ACCA, has approved Virgin Australia and Alliance Airlines exploring coordinating routes together on several regional and short-haul international routes.
It appears that Virgin Australia will work with Alliance on expanding its regional footprint, including it appears, Alliance “filling the gap” created by Virgin Australia pulling out of a large number of regional routes, with the Alliance operating those routes, with also Virgin Australia apparently be able to coordinate and determine pricing, capacity and scheduling with Alliance under the agreement, with the ACCC granting the authorisation until 31 Mar 2023.
Why do I say interesting?
Well, in In February 2019, QANTAS acquired a 19.9% shareholding in Alliance Airlines and in early 2021, Alliance Airlines agreed to wet leasing to QANTAS QantasLink a number of its recently acquired from the USA Embraer E190s, for initially three years, to be based at in Adelaide and Darwin, operating Adelaide-Alice Springs, Darwin-Alice Springs and Darwin-Adelaide routes, according to QANTAS to commence in June. The agreement also gives QANTAS options on another 11 E190s.
That’s why I say it is interesting!
A report by John Alwyn-Jones
