Qantas Group Welcomes Asian Century White Paper

Qantas Group Executive for Government and Corporate Affairs, Olivia Wirth, said the relationship between Asia and Australia was crucial to the airline, and that a long term policy framework would help tap into growth opportunities.

“Growing with Asia is a key pillar of the Qantas Group’s strategy because of the huge opportunities that Asia’s population, economy and geography offer,” said Ms Wirth.

“China in particular has become a key source of inbound tourists for Australia and a macro view of the policy settings to help capitalise on this are welcome.

“We look forward to working with government on putting the White Paper’s recommendations into action, particularly around strengthening economic ties with Asia,” added Ms Wirth.

Over the past five years the Qantas Group has significantly increased its presence within Asia, particularly with Jetstar-branded airlines geared towards serving an emerging middle class. The Jetstar Group includes airlines in Singapore, Vietnam, Japan and (subject to regulatory approval) Hong Kong. These airlines are joint ventures with local investors, including Japan Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.

As part of its proposed partnership with Emirates, Qantas plans to restructure its flight schedules to better serve the Asian market, with arrival and departure times to synch with connecting flights to other Asian destinations rather than onward flights to Europe and the UK. The Qantas-Emirates partnership remains subject to regulatory approval.

Cities in Asia served directly by Qantas include Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Manila, Jakarta and Bangkok.

Source and photo: Qantas