Qantas and China Eastern withdraw application to continue coordination between Australia and China

Summary:

On October 24, 2023, Qantas Airways Limited and China Eastern Airlines Corporation Ltd withdrew their application to revoke authorization AA1000526 and substitute it with authorization AA1000624 for coordinating operations between Australia and mainland China. The application was approved in part on March 30, 2023, granting interim authorization, but was subject to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) assessing the substantive application. However, on September 15, 2023, the ACCC issued a draft determination proposing to deny authorization. Following the withdrawal of the application, the interim authorization is no longer in place. The parties have agreed to honor codeshare bookings, frequent flyer entitlements, and lounge access for travel made during the period of authorization up to the point of withdrawal.