The agreement includes codesharing and aligning route networks and flight schedules while maintaining independent management
By Akram Medhat
Emirates and flydubai today announced a partnership agreement that will launch extensive cooperation between them, offering customers travel options to more than 200 destinations around the world.
Each carrier will continue to operate under its own independent management but will benefit from the other carrier's route network to expand its operations and accelerate growth. The partnership goes beyond codesharing, as it includes integrating the two companies' route networks and flight schedules, giving flydubai customers the ability to travel seamlessly to Emirates' global destinations across the world's six continents, and opening flydubai's strong regional network to Emirates customers.
The two carriers will continue to develop their main hub at Dubai International Airport and align their systems and operations to ensure a distinctive travel experience through the airport, which ranks first in the world for international passenger numbers. The partnership is scheduled to take effect within the next few months, starting from the last quarter of this year.
In this context, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group and Chairman of flydubai, said: "This collaboration is an important development for both companies, and for Dubai's aviation industry as well. The partnership will help improve the two route networks, fine-tune flight schedules and connect more cities, expanding the travel options available to customers and helping both carriers develop and grow traffic across their integrated networks. The joint Emirates and flydubai network is expected to reach 240 destinations by 2022, served by a fleet of more than 380 aircraft."
It is worth noting that the Emirates fleet consists of 259 wide-body aircraft, and the carrier serves 157 destinations, while flydubai operates a fleet of 58 Boeing 737 aircraft and serves 95 stations, with the combined network comprising 216 stations.
Teams from Emirates and flydubai have begun working together to launch a number of initiatives covering commercial operations and network planning, airport operations and customer service, in addition to aligning their frequent flyer loyalty programs.
Emirates and flydubai, both owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, operate fully independently under completely separate managements.
