King went against department advice on Qatar decision

afr.com:

Transport Minister Catherine King acted against the advice of her department in refusing to open negotiations with Qatar over expanding a bilateral air rights agreement before abruptly blocking the request nearly a year after it was first tabled.

The Qatari agency requested an explanation of the reasons the Australian government blocked the bid to add 28 flights a week from Qatar Airways into Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth on August 14.

Jim Wolfe, assistant secretary, International Aviation and Richard Wood, first assistant secretary, International Aviation and Technology at the Senate Inquiry on Thursday. Alex Ellinghausen

“In light of the recent decision made by the Department on 14 July 2023 to reject our requests for additional flights… we have officially requested consultations under Article 16… to better understand the reasons for their decision and to work together with the Department to build a road map for future enhancements of traffic rights,” a Qatar Civil Aviation Authority submission reads.

The government has 60 days to respond to the request, department of transport officials confirmed, with the outcome due by October 13.

A Senate inquiry confirmed on Thursday that the department of transport and infrastructure made a recommendation that negotiations commence with the QCAA on January 4, which was received by Ms King on January 9.

The timeline accords with Virgin Australia chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka’s testimony on Wednesday, when she said she was left with the impression of a positive outcome in January.

But Ms King did not open any talks with Qatar before she wrote to a group of women who were strip-searched at Doha Hamid International Airport during COVID-19 to let them know the request was not