Qantas fires back against ‘slot hoarding’ claims

Qantas fires back against ‘slot hoarding’ claims

The national carrier has denied claims that it hoards a lion’s share of slots at Sydney Airport following comments that (along with Virgin Australia), the airline blocks competitors out of the market.

Sydney Airport CEO, Geoff Culbert has on multiple occasions accused both Qantas and Virgin of holding onto more slots than actually required, effectively blocking lower-cost competitors like REX and Bonza from using the airport.

In order to keep a slot, an airline must fly at least 80 per cent of the scheduled flights, or not cancel any more than 1/5 flights on the route.

Culbert claims that cancelling data on routes between Sydney and Melbourne and Sydney and Canberra highlights the major airlines were hoarding some slots.

June figures show Sydney to Melbourne was running at 81 per cent of pre-COVID numbers, while Sydney to Canberra currently lags behind at only 64 per cent.

During the same period, 8.4 per cent of flights on the SYD-MEL route were cancelled, along with 9.2 per cent on SYD-CAN.

Both Qantas and Virgin have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, turning the blame on Sydney Airport which they claim is frustrated over lost revenue.

A recent Qantas statement noted the Sydney Airport issue, though claims poor weather was a major factor in the cancelled flights.

“There does seem to be some misdirected frustration from Sydney Airport because they wish the system was different and they could unlock more revenue,” CEO, Qantas Domestic, Andrew David, said.

“We understand that, but we’re not sure demonising your biggest customer is the way to go about it.”

The federal government is set to release an aviation white paper next year. A key point of interest will be the comment on the current cap (80 flights per hour) at Sydney Airport which makes it difficult to recover from disruptions.

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]