Qantas seeks new North American routes with long-range Dreamliners

Australia's national airline Qantas has approached the United States Department of Transportation (USDT) seeking approval to open up at least two new trans-Pacific air routes over the next five years.

In conjunction with partner American Airlines, Australia's flagship carrier wants to take advantage of lower fuel prices, an increased demand and more fuel efficient airplanes so that it can expand its operation further into North America.

In the submission currently with the USDT and revealed by local media on Thursday, Qantas and American said the new, unnamed routes were currently under review.

Last year, Qantas confirmed an order for eight new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The aircraft's long-range capability means it could be flying previously impossible routes such as Melbourne to Dallas or Sydney to Chicago.

The submission from the partner airlines detailed that increased competition from other airlines has prompted Qantas and American to pursue new routes as a result of their recent alliance.

It said that revenue would be shared, with the new routes creating seamless travel for travelers heading to either country.

"These responses are not surprising given the well-documented impact of immunized alliances on evoking competitive responses from rivals," Fairfax Media quoted Qantas as saying on Thursday.

"Instead, because their incentives are fully aligned, their optimal strategy is to collaborate, innovate, and integrate their networks to generate as much traffic as possible on joint business routes," the carriers said.

The Australian Consumer and Consumer Commission has already approved the alliance between Qantas and American, however the agreement from the USDT has taken longer than expected.