Treasurer Joe Hockey's call for a national conversation about any easing of foreign ownership restrictions on Qantas has been welcomed by the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA).
The body says any changes must be focused on improving the national airline's Australian operations.
AIPA President Nathan Safe, who last week publicly called for changes to the Qantas Sale Act, says Mr Hockey's comments are encouraging but that the terms of any review need to be very specific.
"We have been actively encouraging the government to review the Qantas Sale Act, so we are very satisfied to see the treasurer's comments," Mr Safe said in a statement on Thursday.
"By being free to attract foreign capital streams there is no doubt that Virgin currently enjoys an unfair advantage over Qantas.
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"This isn't good for competition and it isn't good for Australian aviation."
Mr Hockey has said it's time for a debate about airline ownership laws.
"We still need to properly deal with the aviation transformation that has occurred in Australia," he told a business lunch in Sydney, according to Fairfax.
