A major casualty of the Qantas-Emirates tie-up is the Qantas-British Airways joint services agreement (JSA). Under this arrangement, which has been in place for 17 years, Qantas and BA partnered on their respective flights between Australia and the U.K. via Singapore. Qantas could access BA flights to Europe beyond London, but these were two-stop flights for Australian travelers.

Joyce says that “the time is right to wind up” the JSA with BA. It will finish on March 31. The carriers are also ending their arrangement that allowed Qantas and BA to connect to each other’s flights in Hong Kong and Bangkok, which was an alternative route between Australia and the U.K.

Qantas remains committed to the Oneworld Alliance, despite ending the JSA with BA, Joyce says. Emirates President Tim Clark, meanwhile, stresses that the Qantas agreement does not change his carrier’s policy of staying out of alliances.