Virgin Blue has requested a three week extension from the US Department of Transportation to respond to a tentative decision to disallow its proposed joint venture with Delta Air Lines. The Australian reports that the airline has requested that the deadline for a response to the decision be extended to October 13, while it is
Qantas has lodged an objection to the proposed alliance between Virgin Blue and Etihad Airways with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), in particular arguing that interim authorisation for it should not be granted. In a letter to the ACCC, Qantas argues that the proposed alliance should not be granted interim authorisation as passengers
Malaysia Airlines has announced that it will commence a three times weekly service between Perth and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia’s Sabah state from January 15. The new flights will be operated by Boeing 737-800s and are part of a strategy to grow Kota Kinabalu as a second hub for the airline.
Sir Richard Branson says that Virgin Blue could stop flying across the Tasman unless it gets permission for its proposed alliance with Air New Zealand to proceed. Branson told Radio National’s Sunday Profile program that the airline was currently losing money on its services to New Zealand, and that by working together with Air New
The Virgin Blue Group has filed applications with the International Air Services Commission (IASC) seeking to reallocate capacity granted to V Australia on the Fiji route to Pacific Blue, and also to change an allocation on the Indonesia route from Pacific Blue to Virgin Blue. On the Fiji route, Virgin Blue is seeking to transfer
Qantas’s group executive government and corporate affairs David Epstein will leave the airline in December to take up a position as head of government affairs at BHP Billiton. Epstein joined Qantas in 2008, and before that was chief of staff for former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
