Qantas Hints It May Use Jetstar For Japan Flights
(Sydney Morning Herald)
Qantas is hinting it may have its discount carrier Jetstar operate flights between Australia and Japan, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Qantas raised the possibility as it is seeking an extension by the International Air Services Agreement of its code share agreement with Japan Air Lines. The Australian carrier said if the extension was not approved it was "almost certain" it would end service to Japan, Australia's third-largest air market.
The proliferation of low-cost carriers is the biggest concern of Qantas, the newspaper says. Qantas said it was "sustaining significant losses" on its service to Japan.
One option would be for Jetstar to use Darwin, in northern Australia, as a hub for flights to Japan. Jetstar could use a narrow-body Airbus A320 or A321 to fly to most cities in Japan from Darwin, the newspaper says.
http://business.smh.com.au/qantas-keep-options-open-on-japan-route/20080512-2deh.html
