VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Australian airlines Qantas Airways Ltd and Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said passengers can use smartphones and tablets throughout flights from Tuesday after a regulator relaxed a ban on electronic devices on planes.

State-owned China Southern airline has held detailed discussions last year with a consortium of wealthy investors to provide financial backing for the syndicate's stake in Qantas.

If the Australian federal government does not boost Qantas Airways Ltd's credit ratings, the national carrier may sell its shares in its frequent flyer division or Jetstar's Asian arm, the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reported.

Alan Joyce, chief executive of Qantas Airways Ltd, has ruled out Australia's national carrier raising fresh capital to compete with arch-rival Virgin, saying the airline still has a lot of flexibility.