Emirates Airline has signed a codeshare agreement with Australia’s Virgin Blue to share services between Australia and New Zealand.

The Dubai-based carrier will codeshare with Virgin Blue’s international long-haul carrier V Australia, allowing Emirates’ passengers to transfer easily onto flights between Sydney and Christchurch or Auckland.

The agreement is Emirates’ first codeshare with an Australian carrier.

V Australia says it will cut fares between New Zealand and the US on Emirates flights via Dubai.

In August Emirates denied price-fixing allegations by Australia’s competition regulator. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) says it is taking legal action against the Dubai-based carrier, charging it with price-fixing in its freight business between 2002 and 2006 (MEED 20:8:09).

Emirates is defending the charge.