Call me Nostradamus if you will but here's my prophecy for Thursday;
Qantas will temporarily suspend/halt/defer/shelve (insert appropriate catchphrase here)
it's application for a Hong Kong AOC due to
Unforeseeable financial circumstances/strategic review/uneven playing fields/global conditions/protectionist policies (insert another random grouping of words here)
What it won't mention is the impossibility of ever being granted a Hong Kong AOC due to not meeting eligibility criteria.