Virgin Australia and Tiger face an extended wait to find out if their joint venture can proceed as the competition regulator delayed its ruling once again.
The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission confirmed today that its timeline for a decision on Virgin's proposed acquisition of a 60% stake in Tiger had been "suspended" as it requested further information from the airlines.
In a statement, Virgin said it will respond to the request and will "continue to liaise with the ACCC regarding the transaction".
The decision had been scheduled for March 14 but the ACCC revealed it will announce a new decision date "in due course".
The move comes weeks after Virgin boss John Borghetti said the airline would not accept conditions to grow the carrier at a predetermined rate, hinting that any such edict from the ACCC could see the deal collapse.
The ACCC has previously raised concerns the deal could mute competition in the domestic market.
Meanwhile, in a letter to the International Air Services Commission, the ACCC commented that Qantas' codeshare with Emirates on the France and Thailand routes is unlikely to result in public detriment.
