Australians could still enjoy cheaper international travel if the government reverses its decision to block extra Qatar Airways flights.

A coalition-dominated inquiry released its findings on Monday afternoon, calling on Transport Minister Catherine King to “immediately” review the Qatar decision.

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie continued calling for former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce to face the music, recommending the inquiry be extended after he failed to appear while overseas.

“At a time of a cost-of-living crisis in Australia the government has made decisions that have protected Qantas’ market share and kept the cost of airfares higher for Australian families and exporters,” she said in a statement.

Labor senators released a dissenting report and brushed off any criticism, suggesting the coalition’s findings were “inaccurate” and “obviously biased”, along with lacking “regard to the complexity of the issue at hand”.

“It is disappointing this committee did not seek to make a meaningful contribution to the public debate, but rather descended quite quickly into political antics,” their report reads.

The inquiry was probing what impact Qantas had in the call to deny the extra flights.

The coalition has indicated it will summon Mr Joyce to give evidence once he is back in the country, threatening to escalate things and even try to jail him if he doesn’t comply.

Ms King has offered a number of different reasons for rejecting Qatar’s request, including looking after the aviation sector as it recovers from COVID and reducing emissions.

A 2020 incident at Doha’s international airport where five Australian women underwent invasive gynaecological examinations was “a factor”, she said.

Chairman Richard Goyder also appeared at the inquiry and insisted Qantas’ major shareholders still wanted him in charge.

But the Australian Shareholders Association says the airline needs new executives and has repeatedly called for him to resign.

Qatar Airways estimates the extra flights would add $3 billion of economic benefits to Australia, the Victorian government previously predicting a second daily flight from Doha to Melbourne would create 900 jobs.

– AAP