Labor frontbencher Jason Clare has challenged Qatar Airways to make the most of their routes to Australia as the federal government's decision to block the airline's bid for extra flights continues to be scrutinised.
A Senate inquiry had been probing the reasons why Qatar Airways was denied extra flights into Australia and whether or not domestic carrier Qantas influenced the call.
But Mr Clare said the Middle Eastern airline could already have more flights to Australia if Qatar's current slots were maximised.
"They could fly more planes into Adelaide or Canberra or the Gold Coast or Cairns, they could fly bigger planes into Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane," the minister told Sky News on Sunday.
"Before asking for more flights, they should fill the ones that they've got now.
"This is like my six-year-old asking for dessert and he hasn't finished his dinner."
When questioned at the Senate inquiry last week, Qatar Airways official Fathi Atti said the government did not advise the airline to increase the number of flights to secondary airports or the size of the aircraft.
"From the regulatory side, there was not a request to do that," he said.
The Senate inquiry last week grilled Qantas executives, including new CEO Vanessa Hudson and chair Richard Goyder, over what they knew about the Qatar decision.
However, former Qantas boss Alan Joyce did not appear before the inquiry as he is travelling overseas.
Coalition senators confirmed they would summon Mr Joyce to appear when he returns to Australia.
Inquiry chair, Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, said legal action, including the threat of jail time, was a possibility to force Mr Joyce to appear.
"It's not something the Senate does lightly or regularly, but that is the penalty," she told Sky News.
"You can be held in contempt and there can either be fines or jail terms attached to that finding of contempt."
The Senate could theoretically jail someone for contempt for up to six months.
Mr Joyce told the Senate committee he couldn't attend the inquiry in person or via video link due to personal obligations while overseas.
Senator McKenzie said the inquiry had exposed egregious behaviour by Qantas, which had led the airline to change course on policies such as its Frequent Flyers program.
"We've had powerful evidence thus far and already gotten powerful results," she said.
"You've seen Qantas apologise profusely and repeatedly - that's not because Qantas has suddenly got a new CEO."
However, the Nationals senator admitted the inquiry did not have the power to compel Transport Minister Catherine King to appear to give evidence on the Qatar decision, due to her being a member of the House of Representatives.
Senator McKenzie said Ms King should front up and say why she believed the decision to block extra flights for Qatar Airways was the right one.
"The government's been caught on the flat foot in not really appreciating how frustrated Australians are, not just with Qantas but with the aviation sector that's not working for them well," she said.
Ms King has previously said her decision was made on national security grounds.
The Senate committee is due to hand down its report by October 9.
