Emirates has faith partner airline Qantas will restore its brand

Emirates has faith in Qantas Airways Ltd.’s brand and didn’t consider walking away from their alliance when scandals hit the Australian carrier in recent years, the Dubai-based airline’s President Tim Clark said.

“We’re a firm believer it was the right move that we took all those years ago,” Clark said in a Sky News Australia interview broadcast Sunday. “It never occurred to us at all that there would be any movement away from that.”

The two airlines entered a partnership in 2013 and have agreements in place to maintain the alliance to at least 2028. As the aviation industry emerged from the global disruptions of Covid, Qantas faced a series of problems that resulted in Alan Joyce quitting as chief executive officer and being replaced by Vanessa Hudson.

The new management team is “laser-focused on placating the concerns of the traveling public in Australia, and restoring the brand to its former glory by doing the basics that people want,” Clark said.

“Talking to Vanessa and the team over the last few days, it is clear to me that they are not going to compromise on that,” he said. “Qantas used to be up there as one of the top brands. It’ll get back there, and sooner rather than later, and the rest will be history.”