DUBAI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Emirates Airline and Australia's Qantas Airways hailed on Saturday the Australian regulator's reauthorization of their partnership until 2023, Emirates said in a statement.
The two carriers stated that the continuation of the joint business, started in August 2017, "will deliver expanded services, greater schedule choice and increased frequent flyer benefits."
Qantas International CEO Alison Webster hailed the move as an important milestone to deliver benefits for travellers and Australian tourism for the next five years.
Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori also vowed to continue cooperation with Qantas over the next five years.
Since the start of the trans-continental alliance which dates back to September 2013, Qantas had been the only foreign carrier which is allowed to fly its A380 aircraft to Dubai International Airport's terminal 3. Terminal 3 was solely used by Emirates Airline.
However, Qantas said it will stop flying its planes to Dubai as the Australian flagship carrier opted to reroute its daily A380 flights from Sydney via Dubai to London, also known as the "Kangaroo route," via Singapore's Changi Airport instead.
