Interim approval granted for new Virgin Australia flights to Doha

After news that Virgin Australia was seeking new long-haul flights from four Australian cities to Doha under a ‘wet lease’ arrangement, the ACCC has granted interim approval for the flights to go ahead from June 2025.

The ‘wet lease’ agreement will see Virgin Australia operating 28 additional flights a week between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to Doha using Qatar Airways’ aircraft and crew. The flights will carry a ‘VA’ flight number but codeshare with Qatar Airways.

Extra flights to Doha will launch from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in June 2025 and Perth in November 2025.

Strategically, Virgin Australia’s relationship with Etihad Airways, its only other Middle Eastern partner, is set to conclude from 1 June 2025.

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1.25 Velocity Points earned per $1 on all eligible spend except for government bodies⁵. 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent on selected Virgin Australia purchases⁵. 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 on Government spend⁵

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The American Express Velocity Platinum Card has 70,000 bonus Velocity Points on offer for new American Express Card Members who apply, are approved and spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of approval, plus an additional 30,000 Velocity Points when you spend a minimum of $1 on your Card within 90 days of paying your second year annual Card Fee¹. (Offer ends 30 April 2026. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply.) Includes several perks such as Virgin Australia Lounge Access² every time you fly domestically with Virgin Australia, 2 VA Guest Lounge Passes³ each year and a Complimentary Domestic Return Virgin Australia Flight⁷.

The ACCC’s interim approval of the Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways deal is welcome news for Australians hoping to tap into Qatar Airways’ extensive global network. With Doha already a popular transit point for flights from Australia to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the additional flights will open up more one-stop options for leisure and business travellers alike.

Virgin Australia still needs the ACCC’s final regulatory approval before it can commence its new flights to Doha. But as its partnership with Qatar Airways strengthens, Australian travellers can look forward to enhanced connectivity, convenience, and flexibility on international journeys.

Featured image: Qatar Airways.