Qantas cancelled flights partly to retain takeoff and landing slots at Sydney airport, ACCC claims

Qantas cancelled flights to retain takeoff and landing slots at Sydney airport, among a raft of other reasons that were “within its control”, an in-depth investigation conducted by Australia’s competition watchdog has alleged. The allegation levelled by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, bolsters claims from critics that Qantas and its budget carrier Jetstar have been strategically scheduling then cancelling domestic flights out of Sydney airport to prevent competitors from introducing rival services. The ACCC’s allegation, determined through an investigation into Qantas flight cancellations between May and July 2022, stands in stark contrast to denials of so-called “slot hoarding” by the airline’s executives before two separate parliamentary committee hearings this week. On Tuesday, Qantas’s general counsel, Andrew Finch, said “we completely reject these assertions which are broadcast without a skerrick of evidence”. Announcing the results of the ACCC investigation on Thursday, Cass-Gottlieb said: “We allege that Qantas made many of these cancellations for reasons that were within its control, such as network optimisation including in response to shifts in consumer demand, route withdrawals or retention of takeoff and landing slots at certain airports.” The investigation – which saw Qantas serviced with compulsory information notices – also found the national carrier was advertising and selling tickets for more than 8,000 flights that it had already cancelled in its system during the three-month period in mid-2022. The ACCC is taking legal action against Qantas for its conduct after deciding to cancel the flights, but those alleged breaches do not relate to improper cancellation of flights.<br/>