The recent
VB tie-up with Etihad Airways gives travellers much more choice flying to and around Europe and critically, they can do so with less time trawling busier, congested hubs like Singapore or Bangkok.
Qantas’ master plan to have Jetstar operate flights to Europe will almost certainly have to be looked at again.
V Australia may well be considering asking for access to Europe through Abu Dhabi, gut given Etihad’s extensive network, it’s unlikely they’ll need to ask anytime soon. For Jetstar, the critical advantage of being a long haul low cost airline has been hit with not just
Qantas’ indecision of deliveries of their 787 fleet, but also because the flight times that will be cut on V Australia flights to the Middle East and Europe will favour them over Jetstar.
Qantas has been painfully slow to react to industry changes and this isn’t the first time they’ve been found wanting.
Already, the flag carrier has been hostile to the expansion of Emirates and Etihad into its Sydney hub and has lost plenty of business as a result. At the lower end, Air New Zealand has been eating away at leisure traffic leaving Qantas to look like a stranger in its own backyard.
V Australia’s move could see the airline opt to order or lease more 777-300ERs to complement its expansion – even if it doesn’t, the fact that they are starting services to Abu Dhabi within months should be warning enough that Qantas needs to get its act together – and quickly.