The alliance is seen as key to Qantas’ attempts to turn around its loss-making international operations.
The Australian carrier’s international division has been hurt by slowing demand from key markets, growing competition and higher fuel costs.
The alliance with Emirates, agreed last year, will see the two collaborate on pricing, sales and flight scheduling.
“Qantas is an Australian icon and the future of its international business is much brighter with this partnership,” said Alan Joyce, chief executive of Qantas.
“Customers are already responding very strongly to the joint network that Qantas and Emirates have built, and to the frequent flyer benefits that extend across it, with a significant increase in bookings.”
Qantas has taken various steps to try and revive its international operations, including cancelling flights on loss-making routes, cutting jobs and restructuring some of its maintenance operations.
The efforts helped it narrow losses in the division A$91m ($95m; £63m) in the six months to the end of December, from A$262m a year earlier.
Many analysts have said that a successful alliance with Emirates may help it cut flights further and focus on more profitable routes instead.
They say that with Emirates flying to more than 70 destinations in Europe, any such move would be an easy one to make and would still help Qantas service its customers who fly to those destinations.
Qantas has already said that it will stop flights to Frankfurt.
Meanwhile, the alliance with Emirates will also see Qantas shift its hub for European flights to Dubai from Singapore.