Dubai-based Emirates Airline will cease flying between the Australian cities of Melbourne and Brisbane to Auckland in New Zealand, while Australia’s carrier Qantas will increase frequency of services between these cities from March next year.

The changes are understood to be part of submissions made by both airlines to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and New Zealand Minister of Transport for the five-year extension of authorisation of their joint business.

The two airlines’ first five-year partnership began in 2012.

Under the new partnership agreement, Emirates will instead focus on its non-stop Dubai to Auckland service, and its daily A380 service between Dubai and Christchurch via Sydney service, the airlines announced in a joint statement.

Emirates also said it is evaluating potential new direct services between New Zealand and Dubai.

Qantas will be adding seven new weekly return flights between Melbourne and Auckland, and an extra two return weekly return flights between Brisbane and Auckland.

Qantas’ new trans-Tasman services will carry Emirates code and “will connect seamlessly” to Qantas’ London services via Perth or Singapore and Emirates’ services between Australia and Europe via Dubai, the statement said.

The airlines’ joint submission to the approving authorities includes Qantas’ re-routing of its Sydney to London service via Singapore rather than Dubai, and Emirates’ new fourth daily A380 Sydney to Dubai service.