Qantas to fly to Europe via Dubai, bypassing Singapore
Move out of Changi is part of carrier's new tie-up with Emirates
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From April, Qantas will bypass Singapore when flying from Australia to Europe but analysts say Changi Airport should not worry too much about the move.
One reason is these flights to Europe - twice a day from Singapore to London and daily to Frankfurt - form just a sliver of its 4 per cent overall share of the Singapore market.
The other is that they foresee the Australian carrier growing its Asian operations even as it shifts the hub of its European flights to Dubai.
Its chief executive Alan Joyce said as much at a news conference in Sydney yesterday when he announced the move to Dubai, which is part of its new tie-up with Emirates airline. The partnership is for 10 years. He said the change will allow Qantas to restructure its Asian network, including adding more flights from Australia to Singapore.
