Aussie-owned coffee shop putting small Japanese island 'on the map'
"I think my cafe is the most photographed thing on the island now," he said. "It has bright Aussie sporting colours. When you look at the rest of Japan, there are many greys and browns. When the ferry pulls in, all the people pull their phones out and take pictures of the cafe. A walking tour called Walk Japan has also included the island on its tour - lots of Aussies do it."
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Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
Price wars, cheap airfares and stiff competition for Qantas: What can Aussies expect from the new Virgin Australia?
Australia's second largest airline is heading back on the market for the first time since it fell into administration in 2020. Virgin Australia last week finally unveiled initial public offering plans after years of rumours and reports. The carrier confirmed it was offering 30.2 per cent of the company, or $685 million for $2.90 per share, up for grabs from June 24. Australian travellers, the local travel sector and investors are now fixated on exactly what can be expected from the new iteration of Virgin Australia. Virgin's international expansion Virgin Australia returns to the ASX with the backing of one of the world's best regarded carriers as it ventures onto lucrative international routes. Qatar Airways purchased a 25 per cent stake in Virgin and earlier this month began wet-leasing aircraft to the Australian airline, meaning Virgin could use Qatar's planes and staff on its flights. Flight Centre's CEO Graham Turner said Qatar Airways backing Virgin had 'solidified' the airline as it looked to compete with Qantas and the National Carrier's partner Emirates on routes to Europe. 'The airline industry is one where you do need deep pockets and I think that Qatar really offers some serious security there,' Mr Turner told Qatar Airways' additional capacity to Australia via Virgin comes almost two years after Transport Minister Catherine King controversially blocked extra capacity for the carrier. The Albanese government's ties with Qantas, which opposed the flights, came under intense scrutiny as the decision to block the extra capacity came at a time when sky high airfares plagued Aussies travellers. Labor, alongside the Foreign Investment Review Board, approved Qatar's stake in Virgin earlier in the year, boosting hopes for cheaper airfares and more vibrant aviation competition in Australia. The expertise and massive size of Qatar's fleet, which is often ranked as one of the world's top airlines, is considered essential for Virgin's European expansion. 'Having a partner like Qatar that's obviously heavily committed to the Australian international market, particularly to Europe and the UK, is going to be a really positive thing for Virgin here,' Mr Turner said. Virgin is also expected to benefit from a massive investment by Qatar for 210 widebody Boeing aircraft. The editor in chief of aviation website 42 Thousand Feet, Geoffrey Thomas, said the additional aircraft would enable Virgin to relaunch trans-Pacific and Asian routes alongside European flights. 'With Qatar Airways and their buying power … I see them as being a real rock of Gibraltar, if you like, for Virgin,' Mr Thomas told 'In the recent order for about 130 B787s, I see a number of those, possibly 20, making their way to Virgin as part of a bulk buying. 'That will help Virgin relaunch to Asia, relaunch the United States and become a true international airline in its own right.' However, not all are convinced Qatar's involvement with Virgin will send it skyrocketing. Morningstar analyst Angus Hewitt, who has argued Virgin's IPO is overvalued, said the collaboration with Qatar 'does not mean much at all'. He noted Virgin will get some commission and a fixed fee from Qatar, but this would be offset by the cost of selling and delivering the flights. 'The actual earnings impact of the Qatar long haul agreement is going to be negligible,' Mr Hewitt said on Sky News' Business Now. The major value of the agreement, Mr Hewitt argued, came from the boost to Virgin's frequent flyer program Velocity. 'It makes Velocity a more formidable competitor to Qantas Frequent Flyer,' he said. Cheaper airfares? Aussie travellers have been desperate for cheaper domestic and international flights since the pandemic. But whether travellers see Virgin wage a price war with Qantas after it goes public remains up in the air. Virgin's decline throughout the 2010s and subsequent collapse in 2020 was partly due to the airline's former CEO John Borghetti toughing it out against ex-Qantas boss Alan Joyce in a bitter capacity war. A vast oversupply of seats contributed to the carrier facing a decade of red ink across its financial reports and the battle soon came to a halt. The Australian Travel Industry Association's (ATIA) CEO Dean Long told the days of nosediving airfares were long behind us. 'I would love to see a price war, but I think it's highly unlikely,' Mr Long said. 'What both companies have said is that they're comfortable in the marketplace that they're currently playing and I think that means it won't be a market share battle like we saw in the Borghetti-era where he tried to take Virgin to Qantas.' Mr Turner was hopeful for heightened competition between the airlines but noted Australians continued to see stable capacity levels despite the fall of short-lived budget carrier Bonza last year and Rex withdrawing from inter-city routes. 'As more capacity comes on, we think the airfares will tend to become more competitive,' he said. Mr Thomas was adamant Virgin going public will pose 'serious competition' for Qantas, but the Flying Kangaroo's Project Sunrise plans, where it will fly directly from Australia's east coast to London and New York, puts it ahead of Virgin. 'It'll be competition, but it'll be healthy competition and I think it would just help to grow the market,' he said. Qantas in March once again postponed the start of Project Sunrise to 2027, delaying the start time for when the National Carrier's on-order A350-1000 jets will operate the 20-hour flights. It follows the start date being delayed in early 2024 as the flights were initially slate to kick off in 2025. Virgin's share price Every company strives for profit whether they are public or private, but the presence of shareholders and the pressure to push up a share price can weigh on a business. Qantas' share price more than doubled since October 2023 but its value took a 28 per cent whack in the preceding three months when the mountain of reputational scandals rained hell on the carrier. The National Carrier illegally sacking staff and fraudulent sales practices, all while posting a record profit in the 2023 financial year, caught up with the airline and its shareholders. Mr Thomas said the Virgin executives should keep Qantas' tumultuous behaviour both during and after the pandemic in mind as it undergoes its revamp. 'Where Qantas probably got too entrenched in shareholder value and less about consumer concern, I think will be a very valuable lesson for Virgin,' he said. Travel industry figures are hoping Virgin going public could spark a positive change as it looks to deliver long-term profitability. Mr Long said the team at ATIA wanted the carrier to shift from a private equity mindset towards an attitude where it has to generate a solid return to bolster shareholder value. 'We're hopeful that as it becomes listed there should be some improvements in fleet and some improvements on some of the ground product and how they work with corporate Australia,' he said. The Flight Centre boss also stressed the carrier will need to deliver a 'very competitive' product compared to Qantas to ensure its share price can thrive. 'I think most executive teams and Virgin's, I'm sure knowing them, realise that service standards have to come up to a certain level and so that's important for the share price as much as the profitability,' Mr Turner said. But Virgin may not only have Qantas to worry about as it seeks to drive its stock price. This is a point Morningstar analyst Angus Hewitt makes in his company's report where the financial services firm argues Virgin's value is $2.60 rather than the $2.90 IPO. 'We don't think there will be only two airlines in Australia forever,' Mr Hewitt said. 'We think Australian airlines are over earning at the moment, and we expect this to attract competition in the medium.' Virgin and Qantas' domination of the domestic aviation space comes after Bonza and Rex both collapsed in 2024. Rex's demise is heavily attributed to its attempt to swoop in on the 'Golden Triangle' routes of Sydney-Brisbane-Melbourne after it purchased B737s off Virgin when it collapsed in 2020. Ruthless anti-competitive behaviour by the major players and an inability to secure slots at better times at Sydney Airport led the company to burn cash just to stay in the skies and ultimately withdraw from the ASX. As to whether Virgin meets a similar fate will be something Australians cautiously watch.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
Sky News host Rowan Dean joins as a guest on his own show while stranded in Bali following volcano eruption
Sky News host Rowan Dean has been left stranded in Bali after a volcano erupted in Indonesia earlier in the week. Dean joined his own program on Friday as a guest from the airport as he was unable to fulfil his regular hosting duties with the volcano keeping him grounded at the popular holiday location. He was set to fly out of Bali on Wednesday after a trip but his flight was cancelled due to the volcanic eruption, leaving himself and many other Australians stranded. Rowan Dean joined fill-in host James Macpherson from Bali for Sky News Australia's program The World According to Rowan Dean. The latest episode is available to watch now, and new episodes are out every Friday, for subscribers. "I'm very, very honoured to be there on my own show with you. So thank you James. I'm in Bali because of another explosion. You've just shown the rocket exploding SpaceX. There may be a big explosion due for Iran any day now. But this particular explosion was a volcano, the Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano I believe it's called," Dean said. "It decided to blow up just as we were about to board the plane a couple of nights ago. And sending all its muck up into the air there. And because of that, all the flights, I think some several thousand, 14,000 people stranded, as it were, in Bali." A volcanic eruption in Indonesia sent ashes spiralling into the sky on Tuesday night, causing mayhem for Aussies looking to head to and from Bali. Several flights to the Indonesian resort island of Bali were cancelled and the airport in Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara province was closed due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, officials said on Wednesday. Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, which is in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Tuesday, spewing ash 11 km high, forcing the country's volcanology agency to raise the alert level to the highest. It erupted again on Wednesday morning, belching a 1 km high ash cloud, the agency said in a statement. Dean used the volcanic eruption as an opportunity to launch an attack on the Labor government's push for net zero. "There's plenty of volcanoes here in Indonesia, and they don't just sit around and wait for mankind to decide, as I've learned myself, there's no such thing as a schedule where the gods are concerned," he said. "The gods work to their own agenda, James, And I think we're going to see that, you know, there was one in Sicily only last week and the planet operates on its own rules, James. "The planet doesn't listen to the mere mortals, the Chris Bowens of this world, who think they can control the environment," he added in a dig towards the energy minister.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Sky News AU
Simon Baker shocks as the Aussie actor attends major film festival in open-toe Birkenstocks
Simon Baker has popped up in Italy, where he attended an exclusive media event looking every part the quintessential casual Australian. The Aussie A-lister attended the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival at Forte Village in Cagliari, Sardinia alongside other Hollywood Talent on Thursday. The film and television event, now in its 8th edition, will present more than 70 films, which are either Italian or world premieres, until Sunday, with the aim of spotlighting Italian and international cinema and supporting talent. Baker is set to receive the Filming Italy Excellence Award. The 55-year-old looked dapper as posed with the festival's General Director, Tiziana Rocca, and Twilight star, actress Ashley Greene. Baker donned his signature glasses, which he paired with a pair of jeans, a belt, and a light-coloured shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. However, it was the Boy Swallows Universe star's choice of footwear that baffled fans. Baker opted for a pair of moss-green Birkenstock slides instead of dress shoes for the occasion. The actor proudly paraded his unique style as Tiziana stood beside him and pointed to the famed Australian. A close-up shot of his shoes showed that they appeared slightly worse for wear but were still in good condition. "I love his simplicity," one fan wrote on Instagram. "He looks great," another person said. Baker traded the Hollywood lights for a country getaway in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, near where he grew up, in 2016. The laid-back celebrity in April championed the "beautiful frankness" of Down Under after having immersed himself in many parts of the world. "Once you start to assimilate back into our culture, you also realise there's a beautiful frankness to Australians that is priceless," he told Esquire Australia. "There's no flowery way of putting things; it's just direct. "And that level of authenticity is grounding. It's like a cosy blanket. It's very comfortable and familiar for me." The actor, who rose to fame as consultant Patrick Jane in The Mentalist from 2008 to 2015, broke his silence in April on the status of The Devil Wears Prada 2 and whether he'll reprise his role in the upcoming sequel. Baker played the elusive Christian Thompson in the 2006 hit and revealed to he's unlikely to make a comeback. "I haven't got the call up yet," he said. "So I don't know- probably not, no." It comes as there has been no word on whether Anne Hathaway's character, Andy Sachs, will return ahead of the sequel next May. The follow-up is expected to explore Miranda Priestly (played by Meryl Streep) grappling with the decline of the magazine industry while former assistant Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt) returns for a dramatic showdown.
