Britain's competition regulator said it planned to assess a transatlantic partnership deal between British Airways-owner IAG, American Airlines (AAL.O) and Finnair (FIA1S.HE) in the context of the post-COVID recovery of the aviation market. The Competition and Markets Authority's interest in competition on UK-US airline routes stretches back to 2010. The regulator had been due to conclude the latest phase of its investigation into the partnership during the pandemic, but decided to stick with existing measures during a period when there was little flying due to COVID travel restrictions. It said on Thursday it would spend six months analysing and reviewing information on the partnership between the airlines, called the Atlantic Joint Business Agreement. The current interim measures directive expires in 2026.<br/>
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Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce will need to front up to a Senate inquiry when he returns to Australia from Europe or face “a whole raft of processes”, including the prospect of jail, Bridget McKenzie has warned. The long-serving airline chief, who stepped down from the top job earlier this month, did not appear before a Senate inquiry into the federal government’s decision to block a bid from Qatar Airways to double its flights to major Australian cities. McKenzie, the committee’s chair, said Joyce had knowledge of key details through his supposed conversations with the transport minister, Catherine King, and prime minister, Anthony Albanese, about the decision that favoured his airline over domestic competitor, and Qatar Airways partner, Virgin Australia. The Nationals senator pointed to a 1950s precedent, where two journalists were jailed for not adhering to a summons order, but said “let’s hope we don’t get there”. “He is the only one that can go to conversations that he’s informally had with his bromance partner, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese and indeed Minister King,” McKenzie said, later adding there are “a whole raft of processes” the inquiry can take if he rebuffs the request to appear. “There is a process within the standing orders and the procedures of the Senate, which will eventually make it very hard for former CEO Joyce to not appear.” The inquiry, which wrapped up hearings on Thursday afternoon, heard from Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka on Wednesday, who said she had first met with King in January where they discussed the Qatari bid for “five minutes at best” during a one-hour discussion. Hrdlicka added King informed her Joyce was “not happy” to hear of the Qatari bid and had requested a meeting. “Nonetheless, I was left with a very clear impression that the decision to proceed was very compelling and imminent. Based on this conversation, I felt comfortable that Qatar would be granted additional air rights,” Hrdlicka said.<br/>
Qantas pilots who operate passenger, charter and fly-in-fly-out (Fifo) services in Western Australia will stop work for 24 hours next week, as workers negotiating a new pay deal complain of wages “significantly lower” compared to other airlines. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots (Afap), which represents pilots employed by Network Aviation – a subsidiary of Qantas Group which operates Qantas Link, Fifo and charter services for the airline in Western Australia – said it notified Qantas management on Thursday afternoon about the stop work action. Members will proceed with a 24-hour stoppage of all work on Wednesday 4 October. The stop work action could affect more than 50 flights, including Qantas Link routes from Perth to regional WA towns such as Exmouth, Karratha, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie, as well as to mine sites. More than 85% of Network Aviation’s 250 pilots are Afap members, and of those, 99.5% voted in favour of taking legally protected industrial action, which included a number of work bans and work stoppages approved by the Fair Work Commission. The Guardian understands many pilots at the Qantas subsidiary are on base award rates, earning the same as entry level pilots, despite greater performance expectations. Senior industrial officer Chris Aikens said the Afap “is disappointed that we have had to take this action”. The Afap has been genuinely negotiating and trying to reach an agreement with Qantas management but the company remains unwilling to revisit its inflexible wages policy instituted under the former CEO [Alan Joyce],” Aitkens said.<br/>