Etihad Airways and Emirates seek increased Australia traffic rights

Etihad Airways and Emirates announced talks with the Australian Government to expand traffic rights to Australia (The Age, 27-Nov-2009). Etihad Airways currently only operates three of its permitted four times daily to Australia. The carrier is seeking to increase Sydney services from 11 times weekly to twice daily, Melbourne services from daily to twice daily and Brisbane from three times weekly to daily, increasing its need for allocated frequency to 35 flights per week. Emirates is also seeking a "reasonable" increase in flights per week to Australia by 2011 from the 84 per week currently permitted. Emirates currently operates 70 flights per week to Australia.

Etihad Airways: "We are positioning our interests before the governments go into bilateral discussions in the new year and we will see what comes from that. It's really just planning access so we have the flexibility to move capacity," James Hogan, CEO. Source: The Age, 27-Nov-2009.