Emirates
and Qantas have welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission’s (ACCC) draft determination that proposes to grant
authorisation for their partnership for five years.
The
partnership will provide customers with
a seamless international and Australian network, exclusive frequent
flyer benefits and world‐class travel
experiences.
ACCC
approval is required for Emirates and Qantas to coordinate on
pricing, sales and capacity.
The
ACCC has issued a draft determination with a final decision due in
March 2013. The implementation of the partnership remains subject to
the ACCC's final determination and regulatory approval in other
jurisdictions.
Qantas
Group Chief Executive Officer, Alan Joyce, said the ACCC’s draft
determination was an important step towards delivering a better
travel experience for millions of customers.
“We
put a strong case to the ACCC that outlined the benefits of this
partnership, both for travellers and for Australian tourism,” said
Mr Joyce.
“Our customer research
has shown very strong support for the Qantas and Emirates
partnership, particularly in terms of increasing one-stop access to
Europe, cutting travel time and offering frequent
flyer benefits.
“We
will now focus on responding to the issue raised by the ACCC in
relation to the trans-Tasman as we move to securing final approval of
this landmark partnership,” added Mr Joyce.
President
of Emirates Tim Clark said that the positive response from
its customers had been matched with enthusiasm from the
local tourism sector.
“The
feedback since the Emirates and Qantas partnership was announced has
been positive and reinforces what a strong match the two brands are
for each other,” said Mr Clark.
“Australia
is one of the top three destinations in the Emirates network, popular
for our business and leisure travellers alike.
“The
partnership with Qantas means we can add regional destinations like
the Gold Coast
and Hobart to the growing list of places we offer
Emirates customers worldwide,” added Mr Clark.
Since
announcing the proposed partnership in September, Emirates and Qantas
have started initial preparations that do not require regulatory
approval, including connecting IT systems, designing frequent
flyer benefits and establishing an operational base for
Qantas in
Dubai.
Submissions
to the ACCC made in support of the Emirates-Qantas partnership
included the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure and Transport,
the Victorian and Queensland state governments, Australian Tourism
Export Council and the National Tourism Alliance. A final decision is
expected from the ACCC in March 2013. The partnership is scheduled to
start in April 2013.