Qantas, China Eastern Airlines withdraw request to regulator to extend pact (updated)

Alliance Aviation Services

24/10/2023 05:05

(Adds context and details from paragraph 2)
       Oct 24 (Reuters) - Qantas Airways  QAN.AX  said on
Tuesday the company and China Eastern Airlines  600115.SS  have
withdrawn their application to Australian competition regulator
that sought to extend their joint business.
    The announcement comes a month after the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it planned to
end a long-surviving partnership between the two airlines over
claims that it would lessen competition and provide the airlines
a chance to hike airfare.
        "The airlines have commenced a process to unwind the
joint business over the coming weeks, which includes an end to
the coordination of pricing and schedules, and the removal of
joint marketing material," Qantas said in a statement.
  
        Last week, Qantas also 
    scrapped
     its A$611 million ($388.60 million) plan to buy out charter
flight operator Alliance Aviation Services  AQZ.AX , after the
ACCC blocked the deal.
  


($1 = 1.5723 Australian dollars)

 (Reporting by Himanshi Akhand in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane
Venkatraman and Dhanya Ann Thoppil)
 ((Himanshi.Akhand@thomsonreuters.com;))