Australia is a key market for Emirates and Etihad, and is the missing link for Qatar Airways

Every two hours, an Emirates aircraft - half of them A380s - departs Dubai for Australia. After India, the UK and US, Australia is Emirates' fourth largest market by seat capacity deployment but second largest, after the US, for available seat kilometres.

About one in every 10 seat kilometres flown by Emirates is en route to Australia. Emirates is the largest international airline in Australia after Qantas while its neighbour, Etihad Airways, is eighth largest. Etihad in Australia punches above its weight: globally it is 37% the size of Emirates but has 45% as many seats to Australia as Emirates does.

Qatar Airways is missing out. If its Australian capacity was in proportion to Emirates the way Etihad's is, Qatar would have around 18,000 weekly seats and 50-60 weekly flights, placing it on the heels of Cathay Pacific as the seventh largest airline in Australia. Instead Qatar has only 14 weekly flights, 4,700 seats and is Australia's 18th largest carrier.