Emirates, Flydubai expand partnership further with 16 new codeshare routes

Dubai-based carriers Emirates and Flydubai have added 16 new codeshare destinations in the combined network they are building under a cooperation agreement made in July.

It follows an announcement last month of the first 29 routes on which Emirates and Flydubai will codeshare under the deal intended to help the airlines cut costs and build market share.

The airlines said in a statement on Tuesday they are hoping to launch codeshare routes to 240 destinations by 2022, with the latest announcement including destinations such as Zanzibar, Kathmandu and Kilimanjaro, as well as Chittagong, Bratislava and Djibouti.

“Nearly 14,000 sectors have been ticketed during the first week of operation, surpassing our expectations. We have witnessed strong demand for travel from Europe and the US to South Asian destinations,” said Emirates President Tim Clark.

Passengers can book for travel from 8 November 2017. In the July tie-up announcement Emirates and Flydubai said they would operate an “expansive” codeshare agreement with increased schedule alignment, fleet and network sharing to more than 200 destinations, as well as alignment of frequent flyer programmes.

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The deal followed dismal financial announcements by both airlines in the preceding 12 months, as currency volatility and competition hit their bottom lines. However, they have insisted they will continue to operate independently.

“This partnership is an unprecedented opportunity for both airlines to unleash the combined power of their networks, offering travellers greater choice and flexibility when planning their trips,” Mr Clark said.