Transport minister withholds documents regarding Qatar Airways blocking, cites public interest immunity

Istanbul / Turkey - March 28, 2019: Qatar Airways Airbus A330-300 A7-AEE passenger plane arrival and landing at Istanbul Ataturk Airport

Transport Minister Catherine King has withheld documents from parliament regarding her decision to block Qatar Airways’ bid for additional capacity to Australia, citing public interest immunity.

King responded to a Senate order for the production of documents regarding the decision, saying that disclosing this information could reveal sensitive details about Qatar-Australia relations.

“As the government has made clear, air services agreements are not commercial arrangements but treaty-level agreements between countries,” King said.

“The production of documents falling within the scope of these orders would, or might reasonably be expected to, disclose the nature of bilateral relations with Australia’s foreign partners that we have given undertakings to protect.

“There is a public interest in not disclosing such discussions so the government’s negotiations over air services agreements with a range of countries can continue unimpeded. As such, I claim public interest immunity over documents subject to the orders.”

The transport minister will now go on leave for two weeks, which was organised months ago, following a difficult few weeks of scrutiny over her decision to block the Middle Eastern carrier.

This was inflamed by the Labor Government’s links to Qantas, which has become the subject of a reputational tarnishing following an upcoming ACCC investigation, the early resignation of the airline’s boss Alan Joyce and the illegal sacking of nearly 1700 workers during the pandemic.

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 […]