If the announcement of August was not clear enough for readers, I received this yesterday.
Dear Mr Purvinas
Qantas Sale Act (QSA)
I refer to your letter dated 26 October 2011 which included certain allegations that Qantas is not in compliance with its obligations under the QSA and the Qantas Constitution (Constitution).
Qantas and its Directors are very aware of their obligation to comply with the QSA and the
Constitution and have taken no action and do not intend to take any action which breach those
obligations.
Qantas proposes to enter joint ventures in Asia which will operate local airlines. Each of those joint ventures must be substantially owned and effectively controlled by nationals of the county in which the airline is based. If this is not done, those airlines will not be able to be designated to operate as carriers of the relevant country.
As those airlines will be substantially owned and effectively controlled by nationals of the county in which the airline is based, it will be the relevant minority owned joint venture, not Qantas, which will be conducting the relevant services. Qantas proposes to codeshare with these airlines as it currently does with many other foreign carriers.
In these circumstances, neither the QSA nor the Constitution are relevant. Even if it were possible for Qantas to own a majority of one of the proposed non-Australian airlines, neither the QSA nor the Constitution apply to operations conducted by subsidiaries.
I trust this has answered your questions.
Yours sincerely
Alan Joyce
Chief Executive