Emirates president Tim Clark says that his carrier has reached out to Qantas and would like the two carriers to work together, but has denied that the Dubai based carrier is looking to take a stake in the Flying Kangaroo.
Speaking to journalists at the sidelines of the IATA AGM in Beijing, Mr Clark confirmed that Emirates had made an initial approach to Qantas seeking a codeshare arrangement to strengthen its network in the Oceania region, but he ruled out an equity alliance.
“Emirates is a wholly organic animal,” Mr Clark said. “We are not an M and A (merger and acquisition) vehicle, we don’t really get involved in that.”
Meanwhile, Qantas has confirmed that it has set up an internal task force and appointed Macquarie Group to defend itself against a possible hostile takeover since its share price plummeted following its profit warning.
