BA and Qantas fly their own separate ways

Struggling Australian flag carrier Qantas yesterday called time on a 17-year alliance with British Airways and signed a 10-year deal to co-operate with Emirates.

BA said it will seek a new partner on flights to Asia. Under the alliance, Qantas will move its hub for European flights to Dubai, coordinate with Emirates on ticket prices and scheduling and apply a benefit-sharing model starting in April 2013.

Willie Walsh, the chief executive of BA's parent company International Airlines Group, said: "We're ending the joint business on amicable terms and support Qantas' decision to work with Emirates. The world has changed since 1995."