Dubai — Emirates airline reported a sharp increase in annual profit on Wednesday and said it would be careful not to flout competition rules as it explores a closer relationship with rival Etihad Airways. The airline will continue looking at ways to operate "more efficiently", including working with Abu Dhabi’s Etihad as long as it is not against the law or in breach of competition rules, chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum said. "We will always be happy to co-operate with them," he said at Emirates headquarters in Dubai. "It has nothing to do with a merger." The two airlines could consider joint purchases and sharing facilities in countries they both fly to, the sheikh said. He did not give more details. In 2017, Emirates president Tim Clark said the airline was open to co-operation with Etihad, including in procurement. Both airlines are based in the United Arab Emirates but compete with each other via hubs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Airlines around the world have been battlin...
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