ACCC seeks to block Qantas, Japan Airlines alliance
Share
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has decided against a proposed joint business agreement between Qantas and Japan Airlines, saying the alliance “breaches competition laws” and would leave travellers worse off by reducing competition on Australia-Japan routes.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is significantly impacting passenger numbers, as travel returns to previous levels the anti-competitive detriment resulting from the proposed coordination is likely to increase, the Commission said.
“An agreement for coordination between two key competitors breaches competition laws,” Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Rod Sims argued in proposing to deny the Qantas/JAL alliance in a draft decision.
By Greg Waldron2021-05-06T02:33:00+01:00
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has come out in opposition of a proposed joint venture between Qantas Airways and Japan Airlines (JAL).
Its opposition is based on the dominant market share of the two carriers on Japan-Australia routes prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, says the ACCC. It contends that such an alliance would hurt competition on air services between the two countries.
Source: Japan Airlines
A Japan Airlines 787-8.
“An agreement for coordination between two key competitors breaches competition laws,” says ACCC chair Rod Sims. “The ACCC can only authorise these agreements if the public benefits from the coordination outweigh the harm to competition. At this stage we do not consider that Qantas and Japan Airlines’ proposal passes that test.”
Apple s AirTag item tracker has been removed from sale at an Australian retailer.
Concerns have been raised that children could access AirTag s battery and swallow it.
Apple s new AirTag is no longer on sale at Australian retailer Officeworks after it was deemed to pose a safety risk to children. It s thought that they could easily access the tracker s removable battery and then swallow it.
According to a Gizmodo Australia report, the news first began floating around Reddit on Monday with customers told that while AirTag trackers were previously available at the store, that was no longer the case. Customers were told that a potential swallowing hazard – caused by the CR2032 battery – was the reason.