The competition regulator has given Qantas and Emirates the green light to work together on key elements of their proposed alliance.
However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has not allowed Qantas and Emirates to begin early preparations on the trans-Tasman route after it raised concerns last month about the impact on flights between Australia and New Zealand.
The ACCC said it had decided to grant interim authorisation to allow the airlines to start implementing their alliance on their other routes because of the ”long lead time required to market and sell tickets before the commencement of long-haul services”.
The airlines still require final approval – expected in March – for their alliance from the regulator.
Qantas and Emirates will shortly begin discussions on joint sales and marketing, pricing, capacity and scheduling.
"For consumers, interim authorisation means we can provide details on fares and allow people to book one stop destinations on most parts of the combined Emirates and Qantas network," said Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce.
Joyce said part of selling the Emirates and Qantas network would include marketing of Australian regional destinations to a wider international audience.
"Through this partnership and with interim authorisation, Emirates will now be able to market Qantas destinations like Hobart and the Gold Coast to their customers, which is a real benefit for Australian tourism," he added.
