Latest news with #QatarAirways
West Australian
11 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Virgin Australia expands Qatar Airways alliance with launch of Perth to Doha route
Despite the travel chaos that dominated news headlines earlier this week, the show still went on for Virgin Australia, with the carrier launching its inaugural Perth to Doha route on Thursday. As part of its milestone partnership with Qatar Airways, the airline has been phasing in its highly anticipated return to long-haul international flying over the past two weeks, and Perth has become the third Australian city to join the expanded network. The maiden departure from Perth International Airport was a positive sign for the aviation industry after the widespread disruptions caused this week by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The new Virgin Australia routes to Doha use Qatar's aircraft, which are equipped with the ultra-luxe Qsuite business class and feature the widest economy seats in the industry. The alliance between the two carriers is significant as it connects Aussies to more than 170 destinations worldwide and will grow the capacity of flights from Australia to Doha to 2.65 million seats a year by the end of 2025. There are also plenty of loyalty benefits for travellers who value their frequent flyer status. Velocity members will receive 50 per cent bonus status credits on bookings made from now to June 30 for travel between October 1 and May 27 2026 on eligible Virgin Australia flights between Australia and Doha. From October 1, Velocity will increase the number of status credits members will earn on the new routes to ensure consistency across Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways services. Silver members will score 50 per cent bonus points, with 75 per cent for Gold members, and 100 per cent for Platinum — in addition to the benefits already available to Velocity members, from business class upgrades to dining vouchers at Hamad International Airport, premium lounge access, and extra baggage allowance. Virgin Australia is celebrating the launch with a sale on fares to Doha and selected destinations in Europe. Travellers can save up to 15 per cent on eligible fares for travel between October 15 and March 31 2026, if booked by 11.59pm Eastern States time on June 30. Conditions apply. See more at
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Aussie tourists warned over 'Trump travel tax' as missile threats continue
Sitting at my boarding gate doomscrolling social media, I saw the worst possible alert appear in my feed. After Googling my flight out of Madrid the previous night to learn it was cancelled, I had already scrambled to get a new flight to Barcelona to begin my journey back home to Australia. But things were about to get really bad. Sitting in Doha International Airport in Qatar with about 30 minutes left to board my Sydney-bound flight, I read a tweet saying the Qatari government had just closed the country's airspace due to imminent missile launches from Iran targeting US military bases in the country. None of the passengers around me knew it yet – and there was certainly no announcement over the loud speaker at the airport – but we were about to find ourselves in the middle of what the airline would later call "one of the most severe and complex operational challenges in modern aviation history". The airport is one of the world's busiest and most connected global aviation hubs. At the time, over 90 Qatar Airways flights carrying more than 20,000 passengers to Doha, were forced to divert immediately. Inside the airport, there was some 10,000 passengers with the airline now in complete limbo. Slowly it became clear no one was going anywhere. And nobody had any answers about when we could or how exactly that would happen. RELATED: Advice to Aussie travellers heading to Europe and Middle East Qatar Airways said it deployed extra staff to deal with the massive disruption but at the same time some of the flight crews had timed out of legal operating hours. At one point, myself and countless other trying to get back to Sydney queued for hours on hopes of being issued a new boarding pass only for that queue to be told to disband and move further down the terminal empty handed. "Someone had to step up." As people grew increasingly agitated by the lack of information, things started unravelling and passengers were forced to help take control of the situation. I soon found myself standing behind the desks of frantic airline staff as a Danish passenger (who was moving to Sydney for two years) and I passed along new boarding tickets from a nearby desk where they were slowly being spat out down to the counter where a sole Qatar Airways employee was processing each new traveller. An Australian woman, who had taken it upon herself to make a list of passenger details and bring some order to the chaos, stood next to worker at the desk facilitating the whole thing. She later told me she has such a bad back that she sometimes requires a wheelchair. "Someone had to step up," she said. As I waited for my boarding pass behind the staff desks watching the queues of desperate travellers, at one point I accidentally lent up against the door setting off an alarm. It spoke to the craziness of the moment that most people barely seemed to notice the extra noise. While the Qatar Airways staff member did an incredible job, there was a severe lack of leadership on the ground and zero proactive communication to stranded customers. Some airport staff appeared more concerned about instructing passengers to delete videos they witnessed them taking of the chaotic scenes inside the airport. Once airspace reopened shortly after midnight on Tuesday (local time) diverted aircraft began returning to the hub. In the words of Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer in a self-congratulatory statement on Thursday, "each arrival [was] a step towards reassembling our operation." About 36 hours after arriving in Doha, I touched down in Sydney after being one of the lucky passengers to get on the next available flight. According to reports, the missiles that brought the global travel hub to a halt were largely a symbolic act of retribution from Iran against US president Trump's air strikes on nuclear facilities in the country. For some, it was another example of how perhaps no one is immune to the vicissitudes of Donald Trump's return to power and the newly unpredictable nature of the White House and its foreign policy. Due to the Trump administration's brutal border regime which is detaining and deporting people, including an Australian journalist recently, travellers have been warned about preparing themselves for difficulties when entering the US, but those travelling elsewhere can still feel his impact. It must be said the man likes a tax. Usually on his own consumers in the form of a tariff. Trump also wants to tax foreign holders of US assets with a new law contained in the so-called 'big beautiful bill' (something that could hit your superannuation account, although Trump appeared to back away from that on Friday). And as missiles continue to fly in the Middle East and Iran on Friday threatened to keep attacking US bases, perhaps you could call this current airspace instability a kind of Trump travel tax. Myself and countless others paid it in full this week. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Age
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
‘Most complex': Inside the 24 hours that brought Qatar's airspace to a close
Adding to the situation, some of Qatar's flight crews had exceeded their legal operating hours which restricted their movement, he wrote. That meant most of the fleet, including A380s carrying more than 450 passengers each 'were now out of position, some grounded at airports with curfews'. Other flights had to wait for clearance to re-enter restricted airspace. 'Every part of the operation had to adapt in real time – without precedent, and without pause.' Hamad International Airport in Qatar is a major hub for Qatar Airways, on the popular long-haul route that crosses from Asia into Europe via the Middle East. Flights in and out of Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest hub, were also temporarily suspended. After Qatari airspace reopened some five hours later, the diverted aircraft began returning to Doha. The number of passengers at the airport surged from 10,000 to more than 22,000 by 5.00am. More than 4600 customers were housed in about 3200 hotel rooms across Doha, 35,000 meals were distributed, as well as water, 'comfort kits, and reassurance were offered face to face, flight by flight'. On Tuesday, 390 flights operated, rising to 578 the next day, Meer said. Qatar runs nine daily flights from Australia's capital cities to Doha, four of them operated in partnership with Virgin Australia. It owns 23.4 per cent of the Australian carrier. Iran attacked the US in retaliation for a US aerial mission that aimed to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Criterion: Virgin's trumphant float means more IPOs should be cleared for take-off
Several IPOs are scheduled in the wake of Virgin's successful re-listing – and some have already taken off Virgin's IPO defied investor scepticism about private equity divestments Debt-oriented income fund and gold plays have dominated the small number of IPOs in 2025 With Tuesday's Virgin Australia (ASX:VGN) listing maintaining altitude, float promoters have been buoyed by the prospect of getting long-mooted IPOs up, up and away. Raising $685 million, the Virgin lift-off was admirable given the Middle East unpleasantries that threaten ski-high oil prices. They also disrupted the literal flight plans of Virgin's 23% equity partner, Qatar Airlines. And did we mention the IPO was a private equity spin-off? Investors still remember that Myer float – and not for the Jennifer Hawkins cover. Investors credited Virgin's owners for pricing the float at metrics that make the airline look cheaper than its more fancied red-tailed rival. Another theory goes that with several ASX200 plays being taken over, there hasn't been enough quality equity for domestic-focused fundies generally. An IPO revival? So far, the investor zeal looks to be contagious, although it helps to have the right vibe … such as mining for gold. In the shadow of Virgin's debut, Greatland Resources (GGP) listed strongly on Tuesday, having raised $490 million. Backed by Andrew and Nicola Forrest, Greatland owns the WA Telfer gold mine – one of the country's biggest and once the largest. NSW based gold and copper explorer Linq Minerals is due to list – takeoff time TBA – having raised $10 million from a conga line of keen institutions. Infragreen Group (IFN) shares surged 15% on Wednesday's debut. The owner of recycling and renewable projects, the infrastructure group raised $40 million. Credit where credit's due Debt-based income funds have also featured in IPOs. The Latrobe Private Credit Fund (LF1) listed yesterday, having raised $300 million in an oversubscribed offering that further tested investor interest in the burgeoning asset class. The Dominion Income Trust 1 (DN1) debuted on March 4 and the MA Credit Income Trust (MA1) followed a day later. The former is not a private credit fund, strictly peaking, as it also invests in government bonds and structured credit (including public and private debt). With the banks curtailing hybrid debt securities, Wilson Asset Management's Geoff Wilson sniffed an opportunity for income-starved retirees. Hence the late April launch of the $165 million WAM Income Maximiser (WMX), which invests in debt and equity with the promise of monthly distributions currently targeting around 6%. Spicy Mexican trade paved the way Virgin was the biggest IPO since Mexican food chain Guzman y Gomez (ASX:GYG) listed in June last year, raising $335 million. This one also faced a sceptical audience, but it proved a spicy 'taco trade' of a different kind and the shares remain well above listing price. Also one of the biggest raisings, payment processing intermediary Cuscal (ASX:CCL) is 22% to the good after listing last November. Otherwise, smaller IPOs have disappointed. Of the 29 stocks to debut in 2014, 19 are under water. Fulcrum Lithium (ASX:FUL) earns the booby prize with an 85% decline. Rare earths play Axel REE (ASX:AXL) is 60% underwater. In the pipeline The chunkiest IPO in the offing is that of Gemlife Communities Group, which develops and operates communities for the over 55s. The IPO raised more than $750 million, with some of the funds earmarked for the $270 million purchase of the Aliria Group. Gemlife is due to list next Thursday. The Step Change Holdings IPO closed yesterday, having raised $14 million. Step Change provides SAP (resource planning) software to the resources sector. In an EOFY IPO finale, wound management Tetratherix lists next Monday. The backers aimed for $35 million, but were happy to pocket $25 million. Riding in the slipstream of Virgin's success alone won't ensure IPO success. Proponents need a solid business model, realistic pricing and a dollop of the 'wow' factor. Given Virgin's status as an entrenched duopolist, there was always going to be a buzz around the airline's return to public ownership. Richard Branson, the airline's former owner and consummate salesman, would be proud.
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Independent Singapore
Singapore-bound travellers stranded as Middle East airspace closures ripple through Doha and Dubai
SINGAPORE: Thousands of travellers, including many headed to or returning from Singapore remain stranded at major Middle Eastern transit hubs — flight delays and cancellations continue to plague Doha's Hamad International Airport and Dubai International Airport, two of the busiest in the world. The disruption follows a sudden closure of airspace by Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, in response to rising regional tensions after Iran's missile strike on a US military base in Doha earlier this week. Long waits, little clarity At Hamad International , Singapore-bound travellers described long queues and scant updates on alternative arrangements. Some reported not being provided any accommodation , adding to frustrations amid the chaos. Meanwhile, Dubai International Airport — which handled over 92 million passengers in 2024 — saw a backlog of delays even after briefly resuming operations. According to FlightRadar24, more than 145 flights were cancelled and over 450 were delayed on Tuesday alone, Reuters reported. Ripple effects of a tense region The closures of airspace by Gulf countries, announced late Monday, have thrown air traffic into disarray. These air corridors are vital for routes between Europe and Asia, making hubs like Dubai and Doha especially vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions. See also YouTuber helps stop attack on Singaporean student in London Qatar Airways has said it is working to restore its flight schedules but cautioned that 'delays and diversions may continue through Thursday'. Dubai authorities similarly warned of ongoing disruptions despite the resumption of most services. Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to issue a specific advisory on transits through Doha or Dubai, but officials are closely monitoring the situation. MFA urges caution amid conflict In a statement at Changi Airport, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim urged Singaporeans to postpone non-essential travel to Middle Eastern areas affected by the escalating conflict. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has advised citizens to stay updated on official travel advisories and register with the MFA's eRegister system when travelling to high-risk regions. As of Wednesday night, Singapore-bound flights from both Doha and Dubai remained subject to change. Travellers are advised to check with their airlines before heading to the airport and to factor in additional travel time if planning layovers in affected cities. See also Xenophobic anger rears its ugly head at ATM machine in Singapore While regional governments and airport operators scramble to decongest terminals and resume schedules, the incident has once again highlighted the vulnerabilities of global aviation to geopolitical flashpoints.
