The mystery surrounding Australia’s next airline – Koala Airlines – is a little clearer after the carrier weighed in to lower the volume about its ability to scale up and challenge for a slice of the 95% domestic duopoly held by Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia.
Even with the clouds barely cleared from the demise of Bonza and Rex’s interstate operation, could Koala Airlines actually deliver what so many before them had failed to do, or was it another blustery start-up that won’t even raise an eyebrow in the Qantas or Virgin boardrooms?
Once one media outlet caught a whiff, the idea of Koala Airlines was everywhere, so much so that the business – it’s not really an airline yet – was completely caught off guard.
“We never anticipated the level of interest it has generated, and we remain committed to keeping our plans under wraps until they are fully developed and finalised,” said the “carrier’s” Chief Operating Officer, Sally Spring.
Koala Airlines appears to have been in business for more than six years, a rather long time for a so-called airline that doesn’t have any planes yet and hasn’t really applied for a proper Air Operator’s Certificate. Furthermore, there’s no plane orders coming from Boeing or Airbus for a Koala Airlines, no routes identified and no seats on sale.
Spring said the airline has a tall mountain to climb before it can even consider launching a major awareness campaign. The business may be in the process of obtaining all of the relevant documents and approvals but talk of any take-off date is pie in the sky.
“The enthusiastic response is a testament to the public’s eagerness for a fresh approach in the aviation sector,” Spring said.
The federal government’s recently released Aviation White Paper certainly clears the path for potential future competitors to challenge Qantas and Virgin, but with even that policy document still in its infancy, the duopoly remains the status quo for now.
