"This is a major win for Australian consumers, who are already benefiting from more choice and greater value when travelling to Europe, the Middle East and Africa since our flights went on sale in December."
"The proposal is also expected to deliver broader economic benefits including more job creation in Australia, support for the tourism industry and enhancing Australia's position as a key travel hub."
"We are confident in our ability to deliver an alliance between our two airlines that will provide immense benefit to customers, Australian businesses, Australian jobs and the wider economy,"he said.
"Now, through our partnership with Qatar Airways, we're unlocking new areas of cooperation with one of the world's leading airlines,"Mr Murphy said.
"There are still significant concerns around labour standards, and we need to see workers deeply involved in this next phase to see the best outcome out of this partnership."