Emirates, Air Canada now strategic partners

Emirates and Air Canada on Tuesday announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement that will create more options for customers when travelling on the carriers’ networks. It will also enhance the customer experience throughout their journey.

Emirates and Air Canada intend to establish a codeshare relationship later in 2022 that will offer enhanced consumer travel choices for Air Canada customers to travel to the United Arab Emirates and destinations beyond Dubai.

Emirates customers will also enjoy an enriched travel experience to Toronto or key destinations across the Air Canada network. Customers can book connecting travel between both airlines’ networks with the ease of a single ticket, seamless connectivity at the carriers’ respective global hubs and baggage transfers to their final destinations.

Emirates Airlines President Tim Clark said: “This is a significant partnership that will enable our customers to access even more destinations in Canada and the Americas via our Toronto and US gateways.”

“It also opens up many new route combinations for travellers across Emirates’ and Air Canada’s extensive networks in the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. We are pleased to partner with Air Canada, and we look forward to jointly progressing in various areas to provide even better customer flight choices and experiences,” he added.

“As we continue pursuing our strategy of expanding our global reach in response to growing opportunities in VFR markets (Visit Friends and Relatives) that serve Canada’s large multicultural communities, we are very pleased to form a strategic partnership with Emirates, a highly respected flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates with a hub in the vibrant city of Dubai,” Tim continues.

“This strategic agreement will create network synergies, and Air Canada customers will have additional, convenient options when travelling between Canada and the United Arab Emirates as well as destinations beyond Dubai,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer at Air Canada.

“We look forward to introducing Air Canada codeshare service on key Emirates flights, adding the EK code on select Air Canada flights, and welcoming Emirates customers on our services later this year,” he added.

To further enhance the customer experience, the carriers will establish reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and reciprocal lounge access for qualifying customers. Further details of the partnership and specific codeshare routes will be announced when finalised and will be subject to regulatory approvals and final documentation.

Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline, the country’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 51 airports in Canada, 51 in the United States and 86 internationally.

Emirates presently operates 21 weekly flights from Dhaka and via Dubai and offers convenient connections for travel to over 130 destinations worldwide.