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Australian airline competition heats up with major Virgin announcement

The Australian airline wars are set for take-off after a major announcement this week.

On Tuesday, Virgin Australia announced that Qatar Airways – which it has partnered with since 2022 – intends to acquire 25% of the local carrier from Bain Capital.

In a statement, Virgin said the move will “strengthen competition in Australia’s skies” as it plans to launch long-haul international flying by mid-2025.

“This partnership brings the missing piece to Virgin Australia’s longer-term strategy and is a huge vote of confidence in Australian aviation,” Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said.

“Importantly, it will further strengthen Virgin Australia’s ability to compete over the long term, which will inevitably translate into more choice and even better value airfares for consumers as well as additional Australian aviation jobs.”

Qatar Airways Group CEO, Eng. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, added: “We are really pleased to be announcing our proposed strategic investment in Virgin Australia today. The alignment of our two airlines is significant, the relationships are deep, and we could not be more proud to bring even more great value and choice to all Australians. The investment further demonstrates our strategic alignment with Virgin Australia and our collective ambition to deliver the best possible service and value to Australian passengers.”

“Not only that, we believe competition in aviation is a good thing and it helps raise the bar, ultimately benefiting customers. This agreement will also help support Australian jobs, businesses and the wider economy.”

The proposed investment is still subject to regulatory approval.

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