I wonder how this will affect the loads on the PER-LHR services. Now passengers have one stop to LHR via SIN from MEL,SYD,BNE (and PER), all on QF metal.

After all the delays its good that the opposite finally happening! It's fantastic to see strengthening of the continually dwindling QF European network. I'd like to see a MEL-DXB-TXL route. It would replace some capacity to Dubai as well as take a lot of EK pax to one of the few destinations...

As has been pointed out, the fact that emirates steps up to replace lost capacity shows the demand is there. Was QF9 underperforming on the MEL-DXB leg? Now the much touted "one stop to over 30 European destinations" is entirely on EK metal. Terminating QF9 at DXB would make sense, even reti...