Qantas profit comments ‘completely uncontroversial’, says Jones

On Thursday, Mr Jones said his comments – which were made in response to a question from The Australian Financial Review in a press conference in Canberra – were “completely misconstrued”.

“I made the completely uncontroversial statement that the Australian government wants to ensure our airline industry is viable and competitive, that it’s delivering good services to customers,” he told Sky News.

“A viable airline industry requires a profitable airline industry.”

Despite Mr Jones insisting his comments were “uncontroversial”, Transport Minister Catherine King said she would not have used the same words.

Mr Jones also did not issue a transcript for the Monday press conference, which is his standard practice, including issuing one for an interview with ABC Radio National that occurred about an hour earlier in the day.

Viable not profitable

In the Sky News interview on Thursday when the issue of additional Qatar Airways being blocked to protect Qantas profits was raised a second time, Mr Jones insisted that should not be how his comments were interpreted.

“I want to pick you up on that because this has got away over the last couple of days … I’ve made the uncontroversial comment that we need all airline operators to be viable and profitable in this country,” he said.

When pressed by the presenter that this meant “keeping profits high”, he said: “I’m not saying profits high. The airline industry, all of the operators, need to be viable. We have seen in our history when they are not.”

Mr Jones said the Albanese government aviation green paper set to be released within days, would go to competition issues and go to industry viable and industry sustainability issues.

ACCC sues Qantas

Qantas faces tens of millions of dollars in fines over allegations it engaged in false, misleading or deceptive conduct by advertising tickets for more than 8000 flights it had already cancelled.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Thursday alleged Qantas sold tickets for flights an average two weeks and up to 47 days after they were cancelled between May and July last year, causing chaos for travellers.

The ACCC also alleges the airline cancelled 15,000 of 66,000 scheduled flights over the same period. For 10,000 cancellations, it took on average 18 days and up to 48 days to notify ticket holders, the watchdog says.

ACCC chairwoman Gina Cass-Gottlieb said Qantas’ actions “left customers with less time to make alternative arrangements and may have led to them paying higher prices to fly at a particular time”.