Virgin Australia launches Brisbane-Doha flights under Qatar Airways partnership

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Virgin Australia launches Brisbane-Doha flights under Qatar Airways partnership

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Dave Emerson Virgin Australia's Chief Executive Officer | Virgin Australia

By Sky Industry News

Jun 23, 2025

Virgin Australia has expanded its international flight offerings by launching a new route from Brisbane to Doha. This move comes under the airline's partnership with Qatar Airways, marking their second destination following the Sydney-Doha route that commenced earlier this month. The new service utilizes Boeing 777-300ER aircraft wet-leased from Qatar Airways.

The collaboration between Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways was made possible after receiving approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on March 27th. This agreement aims to establish three routes connecting Australia to Qatar in June, with a fourth route from Melbourne set to launch in December.

The inaugural flight from Brisbane Airport to Doha Hamad International Airport took off on June 19th. The aircraft, registered as A7-BEE, departed at 15:25 local time and is expected to land in Doha at 22:46 local time. This event signifies Virgin Australia's return to long-haul operations after ceasing such services during the pandemic in 2020.

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Virgin Australia's Chief Executive Officer, Dave Emerson, highlighted the significance of this partnership with Qatar Airways, stating it "opens the world to millions of Australians" by providing increased options and a seamless global experience.

In addition to offering enhanced services and amenities on these flights, Virgin Australia anticipates expanding capacity significantly by December. The alliance expects over 2.6 million seats annually available for travel between Australia and Doha, thereby increasing market competitiveness and travel options for Australians heading to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The ACCC has approved both the investment proposal by Qatar Airways for a minority stake in Virgin Australia and their strategic partnership. According to an August 2023 decision regarding Qantas and Emirates' alliance restrictions, Qatar Airways is limited to 28 weekly flights into major Australian ports—a limit now fully utilized through this partnership.

Virgin Australia's statement also mentioned that Qatar Airways proposed acquiring a 25% stake in September 2024. This acquisition would strengthen their strategic relationship established initially in September 2022.