Qatar Airways Group and Virgin Australia have received final go-ahead from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for the airlines’ integrated alliance.This final determination officially signals the green light for Virgin Australia’s new 28 weekly flights between Australia and Doha – operated under a wet-lease with Qatar Airways – to proceed."Today’s announcement by the ACCC sends a clear signal of the appetite that exists for delivering competition, world-class service and value to Australian passengers," said Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer Badr Mohammed al-Meer.The ACCC’s authorisation gives the Australian carrier access to the scale and expertise of a world-leading global airline and facilitates its re-entry into long-haul international flying; driving increased competition in the market, while delivering greater choice and value for Australian passengers.Utilising aircraft wet-leased from Qatar Airways, Virgin Australia is set to commence long-haul flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth to Doha from June 2025, followed by Melbourne to Doha in December 2025.Through Hamad International Airport, the flights open up more than 100 connecting itineraries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and enable Australian passengers to benefit from a host of increased loyalty earn and redemption opportunities for Qatar Airways’ privilege club and velocity members.The flights will provide a significant boost to the Australian visitor and tourism economy, generating estimated 3bn dollars (Australian) in economic value over the next five years.This follows the Australian government’s approval of Qatar Airways Group’s 25% investment in Virgin Australia on February 27, 2025 – joining existing majority shareholder Bain Capital.The collaboration arrangement will also support jobs growth, both in Virgin Australia and across the broader aviation and tourism sectors in Australia, with Qatar Airways set to provide secondment opportunities for 20 Virgin Australia pilots and 40 cabin crews in 2025.Another focus area of the partnership is sustainability, which includes the development of sustainable aviation fuel initiatives.Terming the collaboration as the start of a new chapter in the relationship between two airlines, al-Meer highlighted their shared ambition to create healthy competition within the local aviation market, as well as our collective commitment to supporting Australian businesses, Australian jobs and the wider economy."This is a defining moment for Virgin Australia and the Australian aviation landscape. The ACCC’s final approval of our deeper strategic partnership with Qatar Airways marks the start of a new chapter for our airline and a world of opportunities for our people and customers," Virgin Australia chief executive officer Dave Emerson said."Already, we are seeing some of the positive benefits of the partnership, including increased sale activity on airfares between Australia and Europe, the Middle East and Africa thanks to increased competition," he added.Bain Capital Partner Mike Murphy said this important milestone allows the airlines to harness their collective strength and unlock new areas of cooperation for the benefit of Australian consumers.