Australia wants to ensure ‘two airlines after shutdown’

Bloomberg

The Australian government is in contact with Virgin
Australia Holdings Ltd management and wants to make sure there is a competitive airline industry when people are allowed to start travelling again after the coronavirus pandemic.
Australian travellers are not expected to be able to head overseas until at least the end of this year, although there may be easing of
restrictions on interstate movement in the months ahead, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Virgin Australia and larger rival Qantas Airways have been forced to ground flights and furlough workers even as the government has pledged $454 million to the sector, which is among the hardest hit by the virus spread.
“We want a two-airline sector coming out of this,” Deputy PM Michael McCormack said. “We will continue to look at the situation.”
Restrictions imposed by the government are costing the tourism industry about A$4 billion in lost business from international visitors and around A$5 billion from domestic travellers each month, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, citing the Tourism and Transport Forum. Virgin Australia has asked the government for a A$1.4 billion loan to cope with the shutdown.