Ναι σωστά... εδώ και η ανακοίνωση της ΕΚ:
Today marks an important date in Emirates' 16-year relationship with Australia and our standing in the aviation industry. I'm delighted to announce that Emirates and Qantas have signed a new global aviation partnership.
The agreement brings together two powerful airlines: Emirates, the world's largest international airline with 125 destinations on six continents, and Qantas, Australia's largest airline with an extensive domestic network of more than 50 destinations and 5,000 weekly flights.
The 10-year code-sharing partnership will lead to better coordination in scheduling and a benefits-sharing model. Neither airline will buy shares or a stake in the other. Subject to Australian regulatory approvals, we anticipate that the partnership will become effective from April 2013.
Qantas will move its hub for European flights from Singapore to Dubai. We will jointly offer 98 weekly services between Australia and Dubai, including four daily A380 flights. For our customers, it means better access to Qantas' Australian domestic network and across the trans-Tasman between Australia and New Zealand.
Our combined fleet of 35 A380s, Emirates' current 23 and Qantas' 12, will form the largest A380 network worldwide, currently serving 22 destinations. More cities will join the A380 network and frequencies will be increased to the existing ones. Together, we will offer seven daily A380 services to London Heathrow, once Qantas launches daily services from Sydney and Melbourne to London via Dubai.
Our Skywards and Qantas Frequent Flyer programmes will be linked, giving customers better opportunities to earn and redeem points and access to tier status benefits. We will share the use of our dedicated A380 facility in Dubai, slated to open in early 2013.
Both airlines will continue with their own expansion plans. Emirates will launch new routes -- Washington D.C., Adelaide, Lyon and Phuket -- as scheduled, and our A380 fleet will increase to 32 by year-end, with 58 more delivered in the coming years.
In the past, we have always resisted joining established airline alliances. They have not added value to their customers' experience, and we have always valued our independence, identity and the protection of our people above commercial gain. This is why the partnership with Qantas is so arranged that it will maximise benefits for our customers, create cost and network efficiencies for both airlines, and reinforce Dubai's standing as a global hub. Importantly, it will expand our business and the opportunities for our people, without compromising their wellbeing and integrity in any way.
Within the short span of 27 years, Emirates has been transformed from an 'upstart' to an industry leader in service, fleet, customer experience and financial rankings. Each one of us has played an important role in this success and, collectively, we all have much to be proud of. I salute and thank you for building Emirates to what it is today, despite the global recession, wars, epidemics and natural disasters that threatened our business. As an example, our Australian journey started with our first service to Melbourne in 1996, and today the country is among our top three destinations.
As we continue to conquer new horizons, I'm hoping for your continued support and commitment. The cornerstone of Emirates' success has always been our steadfast belief in the future, our vision of tomorrow. Today, we have taken one big step into the future.
Τερματίζει μόνο την πτήση QF 1/2 ( Sydney - Bangkok - London και επιστροφή) . Θα συνεχίσει να πετάει στο Λονδίνο 2 φορές την ημέρα με την QF1/2 ( αντικαθιστά την QF31 /32 στο Sydney - Singapore - London ) και την QF9 ( Melbourne - Singapore - London ) .
