Australian ACCC gives an interim Yes to Etihad-Virgin Blue alliance

On 23 September 2010 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced that it was giving an interim approval to an alliance between Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi and Virgin Blue from Brisbane. Papers related to the authorisation are available here.

This will see Qantas severing its relationship with Etihad under which, among other routes, Etihad has been code sharing on Qantas operations between Sydney and Auckland (see 11 March 2009 announcement), and Emirates severing its relationship with Virgin Blue group's V Australia under which V Australia has been code sharing on Emirates' operations from Sydney to Auckland and Christchurch (see 16 September 2009 announcement).