I know nothing about the rules/regulations but have observed that seeing J award availability on QF24 and return is hens’ teeth stuff. It’s a sector I fly very often and can only recall getting a seat once in the past 10 or 15 years. Qantas has always flogged Emirates on this sector or Jetstar vis Singapore. More than once I’ve taken a cheap o/w to Singapore or Hong Kong , from where QF J award has greater availability.
Is it surprising that EK drop this flight? I take it Often and it always seems full ( just last week my sequence number on the boarding pass was 614...I didn’t know there are that many seats).