Fed: govt still protecting Qantas monopoly - Virgin Blue

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2003
Fed: govt still protecting Qantas monopoly - Virgin Blue

Virgin Blue says federal government changes to public service air travel rules will
do little to break the monopoly on such travel held by Qantas.

The airline says as a result it's decided to cancel a daily Canberra-Sydney flight.

Finance Minister NICK MINCHIN announced yesterday that changes to give smaller airlines
10 per cent of the Sydney-Canberra travel market have exceeded expectations.

But Virgin Blue spokesman DAVID HUTTNER says his airline has just one per cent of public
service travel compared to around 30 per cent of the rest of the domestic aviation market.

He's described the discrepancy as a scandal and says the service will not be reinstated
until the government takes real steps to abolish the monopoly.

AAP RTV dep/sb/sco/lma

KEYWORD: FLIGHTS (CANBERRA)

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