Regulator raises competition concerns on Qantas

Dodgy deal: Qantas planes are seen on the tarmac of Melbourne International Airport. The airline has offered Alliance investors A$4.75 (RM14.7) a share for the remainder of the company in an all-stock deal. — Reuters

SYDNEY: Australia’s competition regulator say that Qantas Airways Ltd’s proposed purchase of the remainder of charter operator Alliance Aviation Services Ltd for A$610.8mil (US$423mil or RM1.9bil) raised concerns.

“We are concerned that this proposed acquisition is likely to substantially lessen competition for air transport services to and from regional and remote areas in Queensland and Western Australia for corporate customers,” Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in a statement.