Qantas steals market share from Jetstar, again falls short on target

Qantas has reclaimed the lion’s share of the domestic passenger market from rival Virgin, however, has again failed to clinch its coveted 70% share together with Jetstar. According to the ACCC’s latest Airline Competition in Australia report, Qantas carried 37% of all domestic passengers in April, taking the leading place from Virgin, which captured 31%. It comes after Virgin claimed victory over its rivals in January by securing 33 per cent share of all domestic passengers, while Jetstar and Qantas each secured a 31 per cent share. In April, Jetstar lost part of this market share to full-service parent airline Qantas, with its own falling to 28%. This means together, the Qantas Group saw a total share of 65% for the month, slightly higher than the 62% seen in January, but still below its long-held target of 70%. Meanwhile, Rex again remained steady in April with its 4% share. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has repeatedly suggested that Qantas will secure “at least” a 70% share of the domestic market, despite Virgin’s stronger-than-anticipated recovery from the pandemic and voluntary administration process.<br/>