SIA renews push for US Australia
route
Singapore Airlines has renewed its push for foreign carriers to
be allowed to fly the lucrative transpacific route between US and
Australia.
In a submission to the center-left Labor government's National
Aviation Policy Green Paper, SIA said it believes the international
air services policies of past governments have "not adequately
balanced competing interests.
And it said, this has come at a cost to the tourism industry
through missed opportunities to capitalize on growth.
SIA singled out the so-called transpacific route between
Australia and the US for particular criticism.
It said that Australia's regulatory approach "maintains protection
for Australian carriers, which is counter to its position of
supporting open and free trade elsewhere.
The route is currently dominated by national carrier Qantas
Airways and UAL Corp's United Airlines, due to a policy of only
allowing Australian and US carriers to fly the route.
SIA said there's simply not enough competition on the
transpacific route.
With only Qantas and United Airlines servicing the route, the
Singapore carrier said fares are very high and uncompetitive as a
result.
SIA also said protecting Qantas' interests is "serving only the
interests of Qantas, not Australia's national interest, which
depends on tourism growth.
It added that it's a "long-term player in the Australian market"
and has a "keen interest" in developing a strong relationship with
the new Australian government.
Australia's Victoria state government, in a separate submission,
also called on the federal government to grant SIA and other "third
country" airlines access to the Australia to US route. -
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