Qantas, Cathay Pacific code-share plans quashed over Virgin concerns

Qantas' plans for a new code-sharing deal with Cathay Pacific on flights between Hong Kong and Australia have been dashed by a finding that it could crush their smaller competitor Virgin Australia. The two carriers have a code-share arrangement that lets customers book tickets on each other's flights between the two countries, and last year they proposed expanding that to include connecting domestic flights within Australia or to destinations further afield in Asia. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Virgin raised concerns about the deal, and Australia's international airline regulator issued a draft decision rejecting it in May. After considering further submissions, the International Air Services Commission doubled down on its rejection in a final decision Tuesday. <br/>