Australian competition watchdog weighs in on Rex-Qantas spat

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has weighed in on the ongoing feud between Regional Express and Qantas, noting, among other things, that competition “appears to be increasing, not decreasing”. The commission devoted a section — called “Rex alleges ‘predatory behaviour’ by Qantas” — in its quarterly report on domestic airline competition to address the matter. In detailing the industry developments in the September-December quarter, the ACCC notes Rex has made “public allegations” about the Australian flag carrier’s alleged “predatory behaviour” by entering routes that have historically been operated only by Rex. With international borders shut for most of the year, Qantas has doubled down on domestic and regional expansion. In recent months, the carrier has doubled down on expanding its regional network, as it looks to tap into pent-up domestic travel demand. Rex has been vocal in its objections to Qantas’ expansion into the regional market, stating on various occasions that certain routes, with low passenger numbers, cannot support more than one operator. <br/>