Qantas Airways and Air New Zealand (ANZ) will have to wait at least a month for a final decision from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on their proposed equity alliance.
The ACCC had been expected to rule in June, but announced that it is postponing its decision until August or September for unspecified reasons.
This puts the ACCC on a parallel track with the New Zealand Commerce Commission (NZCC), which has delayed its decision until before the end of September. Qantas and ANZ need approval from both agencies. The NZCC recently dealt the carriers a blow by disclosing that it feels their proposal would cause more public harm than originally thought.
The postponement gives the two airlines hope for a more favourable reception. A new interim chairman takes over at the commission in July. Outgoing chairman Allan Fels has locked horns with Qantas on several occasions.
In the other Qantas case before the ACCC, the commission has temporarily extended the Qantas-British Airways joint services agreement covering flights between Australia and Europe pending its final decision to "later this year".
Source: Airline Business
