Qantas CEO: Jetstar HK decision is a 'very dangerous call for fair competition in markets'

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce, at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, said (04-Aug-2015) the Jetstar Hong Kong rejection decision marks a "very dangerous call for fair competition in markets around the world", adding that the decision was "unjustified". He said when the same rules are not applied to all airlines equally, it is "penalising airlines and taking away fair competition." "You have rules and you think those rules are going to be applied fairly," Mr Joyce said, adding: "It's a real issue for the industry." Mr Joyce also commented: "We've been unable to start services in Hong Kong, which we could've been and should've been doing... We're all about the same rules being applied to the operators in the same market... When different rules are applied to different carriers in different ways, that's a distortion and it needs to be changed." He continued: "Those rules, if they were applied to Cathay, would mean Cathay wouldn't be allowed to operate in Hong Kong", adding: "We were surprised by the blatant application of rules to Qantas that weren't applied to Cathay." He also commented: "We were extremely disappointed, and also worried about what that means in terms of protectionism, and we need to make sure going forward that rules are followed."