Dubai-based carrier, flydubai, has agreed a new codeshare arrangement with Canada’s largest airline, Air Canada.
Pending final regulatory approval, Air Canada’s marketing code will be placed on nine routes operated from Dubai by flydubai. The nine routes include Bahrain, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah and Muscat in the GCC as well as flights to Colombo and Karachi. Air Canada customers will have the ability to travel to these markets with the issuance of a single ticket
Additionally, through an interline arrangement, Air Canada’s passengers will be able to connect in Dubai to more than 60 destinations that flydubai flies to in the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia including Djibouti, Kathmandu and the Maldives. Of these destinations, more than 30 are unique to flydubai and not flown by other partners of Air Canada.
The airlines said that they plan on further improving the connection process in Dubai and are working towards “introducing expanded features and benefits for one another’s loyalty programme members to be announced later this year.”
Hamad Obaidalla, chief commercial officer at flydubai, said: “We are very pleased to be adding Air Canada to our list of partners and to offer their passengers a seamless travel experience on the flydubai network. We look forward to growing this partnership that offers passengers the benefits and the convenience of connecting via the Dubai aviation hub and we look forward to welcoming them on-board soon.”
Mark Galardo, executive vice president, Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada, added, “Air Canada is very pleased to partner with flydubai, further expanding our connectivity to the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, a growing source of immigration and travel to Canada. This new partnership is a perfect complement to Air Canada’s nonstop service to Dubai from Toronto and Vancouver, and growing our relationship with Emirates, flydubai’s codeshare partner.”
In December, Air Canada and Emirates initiated their codeshare partnership, with the aim to provide customers access to 46 points across North America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Emirates customers can book codeshare flights to and from Canadian points beyond Toronto, including Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. Air Canada, meanwhile, places its code on routes operated by Emirates from its hub in Dubai, expanding the airline’s reach across the Indian subcontinent and unlocking destinations such as Colombo, Dhaka, Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore.
Emirates and Air Canada also expanded their partnership to offer frequent flyer members joint loyalty programme benefits. Emirates Skywards members can now earn and redeem Miles on all flights operated by Air Canada – accessing a network of more than 220 destinations worldwide. Air Canada’s Aeroplan members are also able to earn and redeem Points on all flights operated by Emirates – with access to more than 130 destinations across six continents, via the airline’s hub of Dubai.
Star Alliance member Air Canada has already confirmed the addition of new nonstop flights from its hub at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Dubai. The new route will operate four times weekly beginning October 28 onboard Air Canada’s flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. The Vancouver-Dubai flights will complement Air Canada’s daily service between Toronto and Dubai.