Aviation's clash of the titans

We often talk about the duopoly in Australia's airline sector – but if you ever needed proof of its power, you'll find it in the latest eye-popping data from the ACCC, which shows Qantas Group and Virgin between them operated almost 99 per cent of all domestic flights in the back half of 2025. With Rex's domestic jets and Bonza's point-to-point flights a distant memory, we return to the age-old question: can any new contender hope to carve out a niche for itself in a market dominated by the two warring giants of the skies? In this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David dissect the ACCC's newest domestic airline competition report and once again ask who – if anyone – could break the duopoly's stranglehold on Australia's airspace. Plus, the first tickets go on sale at Western Sydney International Airport, and how many regional markets have room for more than one carrier?