Topic “Qantas” — Exporter Magazine

Qantas has moved to tap into the huge market for cheaper airfares in China through the creation of a new joint venture, Jetstar Hong Kong, according to a report in the NZ Herald citing AAP. Australian airline Qantas will also be axing around 500 jobs after a review of its maintenance and catering businesses, early retirement of aircraft and the abandonment of two major international routes. Jet fuel prices will top the list of challenges facing Qantas and Virgin Australia this year as their single biggest expense hovers well above $US120 a barrel, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The New Zealand High Court has ordered Qantas Airways Ltd to pay a $6.5 million penalty for breaches of the Commerce Act, the highest penalty to date in New Zealand for price fixing. Australia’s Qantas Airways has announced a hike in fuel surcharges on international routes, for the third month in a row, in response to continuing rises in oil and jet fuel prices, according to the Shipping Gazette.