Transport Minister Catherine King did not allow her department to open negotiations with Qatar over its request to double flights into Australia before abruptly blocking the bid.
Transport Minister Catherine King did not allow her department to open negotiations with Qatar over its request to double flights into Australia before abruptly blocking the bid nearly a year after it was first tabled.
Jim Wolfe, assistant secretary, International Aviation and Richard Wood, first assistant secretary, International Aviation and Technology at the Senate Inquiry on Thursday.The government has given several reasons for blocking the request, including that it wanted to protect jobs at Qantas, allow the airline to buy new planes and because it was in the national interest.
“All of those sorts of things might form the content that they negotiate,” Senator Birmingham asked. “That’s correct,” Mr Wood replied. The officials confirmed that did not hear back until the request was rejected in July.
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