Long-time partners Qantas and Emirates have been granted the green light to continue their extensive partnership.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, or ACCC, has been reviewing the partnership and, in the past day, granted the authorisation of passenger and cargo flights to see coordination for another five years. As a result, the new deal will run until 2028.
Qantas and Emirates’ deal was first signed in 2013 and has been since a fundamental part of travellers’ options arriving and departing into Australia. However, more scrutiny from Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has been placed on ensuring the industry remains a fair landscape for competition.
Covering routes from Australia to regions such as New Zealand, North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, the continued cooperation benefits travellers thanks to added connectivity.
Additionally, the watchdog says that optimising earning and redemption opportunities from reward loyalty programs is another factor that’s been considered.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has kept a close eye on developments within the Australian industry, especially in recent times. With Rex, Bonza and more looking to grow in the space, it is the watchdog’s job to monitor moves from the likes of Qantas to ensure competition is encouraged and allowed. In the case of this Qantas and Emirates deal, the concern may have been around Air New Zealand’s routes from New Zealand through to Australia.
The first five years of the partnership ended in 2018 before another grant was provided through to 2023. This technically expired in March of 2023. However, the ACCC allowed the pair to continue their coordination while they reviewed the application.
