22.08.10
Qantas will be seeking new hubs in Europe because of the Government’s decision to blcok further runway development at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. Speaking to ATW, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the airline, while not ruling out other destinations in the UK, is now looking at Berlin and Madrid as hubs for future growth.
He said: ‘Certainly the UK is important but we have to look for other opportunities, and with Air Berlin joining oneworld Berlin will be a natural fit. We are also looking at Madrid, with BA to build its operations there with the merger with Iberia. Airlines are now making decisions around these new environmental taxes and restrictions such as runways.'
Another part of the decision is the plan by the Government to introduce a distance-based Air Passenger Duty (APD), which will disadvantage Qantas against operators such as Emirates that operate connecting flights to Australia via a hub in Dubai, Mr Joyce said.
Qantas currently has four slots into Heathrow and will move to an all-A380 operation from the airport as soon as more of the giant aircraft are delivered. It also is looking at other southern European hubs for its low-cost subsidiary Jetstar from next year.
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