The New Zealand Government has bowed to pressure for it to make the process for considering Qantas and Air New Zealand’s code-sharing plans substantially more transparent.
The approval process that Air New Zealand and Qantas need to follow to suceed in reducing the numbers of empty seats on trans-Tasman routes to cut losses and co-ordinate their flights and fares, bypasses the Commerce Commission, with the two airlines seeking clearance from the Transport Minister under the Civil Aviation Act, which does not provide for the hearing of submissions.
The Transport Ministry has announced though that it will accept submissions from interested parties until the end of July and make these submisions public unless there is good reason not to do so.
Report by The Mole
