When asked two years ago whether his Emirates airline and discount specialist FlyDubai would join forces, Tim Clark gave a withering look.

If ordered to do so by his bosses in Dubai then he would, Clark said, while making it abundantly clear that the process would be a painful one. Fast forward to the present day and the airlines are not just sister companies but partners - sharing more routes, schedules and costs than ever before.

What’s more, it’s been a resounding success, a reformed Clark said in interviews last month. “Focusing the network according to two carriers playing their role is working well,” he told Bloomberg TV. “We haven’t finished that exercise by any stretch of the imagination.”

To be fair to its president, Emirates hasn’t been in obvious need of help for most of its 33-year lifespan. The carrier evolved from a two-plane outfit into the world’s largest long-haul carrier, using Dubai’s amenable location to connect Europe and the US with Asia, Africa and the rest of the Middle East.

Last year, Emirates flew a record 58.8 million passengers from its exclusive terminal at Dubai International Airport, which includes a purpose-built facility for the Airbus SE A380 superjumbo.

Turbulent years

But the last two years have been turbulent ones. Oil prices plunged in 2016, disastrous for Middle East travel.

Meanwhile, the dollar strengthened and competition has become stiffer, with China seeking to gatecrash the market and carriers such as Ethiopian Airlines Group on the rise.

That’s led Emirates’ owners to begin to see how co-operating with low-cost sister airline FlyDubai could be positive for both sides.

In July 2017, the two carriers entered into an expanded code-share agreement intended to prepare the way for rationalising networks and aligning schedules.

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