Air New Zealand - Virgin Blue alliance application process 2010

Process and timeframe

The process the Ministry of Transport followed in reporting on the application was guided by two broad principles:

• Ensuring the Minister of Transport has all material relevant to his decision.
• Ensuring the process is fair.

The process the Ministry of Transport followed in preparing a report to the Minister of Transport was as follows:

• Air NZ-Virgin Blue group application for an alliance posted on Ministry of Transport website.
• Interested parties were given until Friday, 2 July 2010 to make their views known to the Ministry in order for them to be taken into account.
• The applicants, Air New Zealand and Virgin Blue group, provided comments on the views expressed (see below) on 3 August.
• The Ministry undertook statutory and wider public interest analyses of the application, taking into account the views expressed by third parties and the applicants. This was compiled into a final report to the Minister of Transport, recommending that he authorise the Alliance for a period of five years.

Public views submitted to the Ministry

Auckland International Airport - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 651kb)

• Further submission from Auckland International Airport - 22 September 2010 (PDF v9.0, 176kb)

Aviation Industry Association - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 2.45mb)

Grow Wellington - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 59.4kb)

Hamilton International Airport - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 1.05mb)

Key Wellington stakeholders - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 631kb)

• Appendix 1 (PDF v7.0, 1.10mb)
• Appendix 2 (PDF v7.0, 166kb)
• Schedule 2 (PDF v7.0, 513kb)

New Zealand Airports Association - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 4.78mb)

New Zealand Hotel Council, Wellington branch - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 126kb)

Travel Agents Association of New Zealand - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 48.8kb)

Wellington Employers Chamber of Commerce - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 142kb)

Wellington International Airport Limited - 2 July 2010 (PDF v7.0, 745kb)

• Further submission from Wellington International Airport Limited - 17 September 2010 (PDF v9.0, 57kb)
  • Appendix 1
  • Appendix 2
  • Appendix 3
  • Appendix 4

K.I.S.S. Travel International - 23 June 2010 (PDF v7.0, 47.6kb)

Cairns Airport - 18 June 2010 (PDF v7.0, 4.41mb)

Member of the public - 17 June 2010 (PDF v7.0, 11.9kb)

Chapman Tripp - 11 June 2010 (PDF v7.0, 1.35mb)

• Ministry of Transport response to Chapman Tripp (PDF v7.0, 89kb)

Member of the public - 3 June 2010 (PDF v7.0, 61kb)

Jumpjet - 17 May 2010 (PDF v7.0, 941kb)

Member of the public - 5 May 2010 (PDF v7.0, 135kb)

Member of the public - 25 May 2007 (PDF v7.0, 1.80mb)

Applicants’ response to the views submitted by third parties (received 3 August)

Applicants’ response to views expressed by third parties (PDF v7.0, 582kb, 58 pages)

Expert statement by Dr Michael W. Tretheway: The effects of the Australasian Airline Alliance between Virgin Blue Group and Air New Zealand (PDF v7.0, 4.35mb, 80 pages)

Appendices to accompany Dr Tretheway's statement (PDF v7.0, 2.77mb, 68 pages)

More information

• Read the Air New Zealand and Virgin Blue group application
• Read Annexure E - Air NZ / Virgin Blue application
• Read the summaries of the alliance agreement and code share agreement (PDF v7.0, 2.65mb)
• Read the first letter from the Ministry of Transport to applicants
• Read the Civil Aviation Act 1990
• Read the letter from the Ministry of Transport to the applicants on 18 August 2010 regarding the Pacific Blue announcement to withdraw from the New Zealand domestic market (PDF v9.0, 49kb)
  • Read the applicants' response (PDF v9.0, 747kb)

For information about the parallel application to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), visit the ACCC website.