CANBERRA, April 1, 2026 — The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has granted interim authorisation allowing Qantas Airways Limited and American Airlines to continue cooperating on trans-Pacific routes while the regulator reviews their broader authorisation request.
The interim decision permits the airlines to maintain coordination on routes connecting Australia and New Zealand with destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
According to the ACCC, the temporary approval ensures that the existing cooperation arrangements can continue while the authority assesses the companies’ substantive application seeking revocation and substitution of an earlier authorisation.
The regulator said the interim authorisation will remain in place during its ongoing review of the case, registered under application number AA1000709.
Further details on the decision are available on the ACCC’s public register.
