ABC News Online
Virgin gives Qantas shares a battering
Shares in Qantas have taken a battering after rival Virgin Atlantic won permission to fly between Hong Kong and Sydney.
The entrance of Virgin Atlantic will step up the pressure on the two other carriers servicing the route, Qantas and Cathay Pacific.
Around 3:00pm (AEDT), Qantas shares were almost 3 per cent lower to $3.30.
Virgin Blue Gold Coast-Perth flights set to take off
Budget airline Virgin Blue has announced it is set to begin direct flights between the Gold Coast and Perth.
The service will begin in March next year and will initially operate five days a week but the airline is expected to move to daily services if there is enough demand.
Virgin Blue's head of strategy, David Huttner, says there are a large number of people from the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales who drive to Brisbane to access direct flights.
"The traffic is really two ways, the Gold Coast has a tremendously strong tourism environment but so has WA," he said.
"A lot of people have friends and family across the country, loved ones granchildren and because of that we've had strong flows in both directions."
Virgin Blue is also planning to add services in and out of Sydney and Melbourne.
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