An aviation expert believes international travel for Australians could change forever as new ‘hub-buster’ aircraft capable of flying directly to popular overseas destinations take to the skies.
The Middle East is currently dominated by the ‘ME3’ mega-carriers, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, which operate around the clock, connecting long-haul routes between Europe, Asia and Australia.
Aviation Projects managing director and principal consultant Keith Tonkin told the Daily Mail that ongoing conflicts in the region could accelerate the decline of the traditional hub-and-spoke model that relies on stopovers in destinations such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.
‘I think the grand vision of the Middle East as the global hub for airlines might be falling apart,’ Mr Tonkin said.
‘The Middle East hub model is probably not going to work as well in the future.’
Mr Tonkin said India, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, could emerge as the next major global aviation hub.
‘Due to its central location, India is the growth pathway for airline operations,’ he said.
‘India is working hard on developing its aviation industry and is working to support those operations.’
Dubai International Airport (pictured) may lose its status as a major hub in the future if the war in the Middle East continues and new ‘hub-buster’ planes take to the skies
An Emirates aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke rises from Dubai International Airport
While countries like India and Saudi Arabia are expanding their aviation sectors, they could soon be bypassed altogether.
Qantas’ Project Sunrise aims to launch non-stop flights between Australia’s east coast and major global destinations such as London and New York.
The specially modified Airbus A350 aircraft will be capable of flying for up to 22 hours.
The first aircraft has completed its maiden test flight in Toulouse, France, ahead of its commercial launch.
Mr Tonkin described the new planes as ‘hub-busters’.
‘If you’ve got an aeroplane that can fly more than halfway around the world you don’t need a hub because you’re flying direct anyway. We might see more of that happening as a solution to that problem – war in Middle East,’ he said.
Mr Tonkin said today’s peace deal between Donald Trump and Iran could eventually lead to cheaper airfares, as an end to the conflict would likely push fuel prices lower and reduce airlines’ operating costs.
Aviation Projects managing director Keith Tonkin says the Middle East may not be the global travel hub it currently is if war continues to rage in the region
‘Project Sunrise’ will include flights from Australia’s east coast to New York, London and other key destinations (pictured, A Qantas Airbus A350-1000 is seen flying over Sydney Harbour)
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‘If they’re advertising a short-term levy, the onus is on the company to take that off when it’s reasonable to,’ Mr Tonkin said.
‘If it’s not reasonable, people will have a view about that and they will put pressure on them to do something about it.
‘They will not take it off unless they need to and are satisfied they can return to normal profitability.’
