(MENAFN - Bangladesh Monitor) CANBERRA : Qantas and Emirates have unveiled additional network changes under their joint partnership. From March 2018, Emirates will stop flying from Melbourne and Brisbane to Auckland and instead focus on its non-stop Auckland-Dubai service.

Emirates will retain its existing daily A380 flights from Dubai to Christchurch via Sydney, and the airline is also evaluating potential new direct services between New Zealand and Dubai.

Qantas will add seven new return flights per week between Melbourne and Auckland and an extra two return services per week between Brisbane and Auckland. Some of these services will be up-gauged from a B737 to a wide-body A330.

Qantas' new trans-Tasman services will carry Emirates' code and will connect seamlessly to Qantas' London services via Perth or Singapore and Emirates' services between Australia and Europe via Dubai.

The changes enable Emirates to reschedule its Australia flights to create a better spread of departure times throughout the day, offering customers more choice when connecting and arriving in to the 38 European and 28 Middle East and North African destinations served by the airline's popular A380 and B777 aircraft.

These latest changes are included in the airlines' application to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and New Zealand Minister of Transport for the extension of authorisation for the airlines' joint business for another five years.

The airlines' joint submission also includes, Qantas' re-routing of its Sydney-London service via Singapore rather than Dubai and Emirates' new, fourth daily A380 Sydney-Dubai service.

Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates airline, said, 'Reauthorisation of the partnership will allow us to leverage our combined network strengths to offer customers even more flight choices and reciprocal benefits for our millions of frequent flyer members. It will enable us to continue developing world-class customer experiences, and contribute to stimulating increased opportunities for international trade, tourism and commerce.'

Emirates customers with existing bookings impacted by the Tasman changes will be re-accommodated onto Qantas services or will be given the option to change their flights.

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