Qatar Airways’ long-awaited purchase of a 25% minority stake in Australian low-cost carrier Virgin Australia has finally been given the green light by the Australian Government’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB). The approval was granted by way of a Federal Treasurer’s announcement made on February 27, 2025, and follows a determination by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) indicating its intention to permit the investment to go ahead earlier in the month.

The investment by Qatar Airways in Australia’s second-largest carrier and the country’s busiest on domestic routes is now expected to receive the final regulatory approval it requires in late March or early April 2025, according to ACCC sources, with no other regulatory hurdles to overcome. Virgin owners Bain Capital, together with Virgin Group and the Queensland Investment Corporation, will each retain their current shareholdings in Virgin Australia following the Qatar Airways investment.

Virgin Australia chief Jayne Hrdlicka welcomed the deal receiving the regulatory green light and hailed the announcement as the start of a “new era for the airline”.   “Qatar Airways’ investment is a huge vote of confidence in our business and Australian aviation more broadly. It sets us up for long-term success and adds fuel to our bold transformation agenda,” she said.

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