Emirates and flydubai Celebrate Five Years of Partnership

Five years ago,  this month, Emirates and flydubai officially launched their broad cooperation and joined forces to provide consumers with unmatched travel alternatives to every corner of the world. They definitely fulfilled their promise. Since the partnership's inception in 2017, the airlines' combined route network has dramatically grown, allowing more than 11 million customers to connect on more than 250,000 flights and experience seamless travel.

The innovative partnership goes beyond the standard codesharing model and today includes integrated network collaboration, schedule optimisation, seamless connectivity at Dubai International airport (DXB) between Terminals 2 and 3, baggage transfers on a single itinerary, as well as reciprocal loyalty benefits under the joint loyalty programme, Emirates Skywards.

Here are five key highlights of Emirates and flydubai’s partnership and the benefits it offers to customers:

The joint network provides unrivalled choice: Today, consumers may pick from over 250 codeshare flights every day, with access to 215 destinations in 98 different countries. Flydubai clients may pick from over 80 unique flydubai destinations, while Emirates customers can book flights to over 99 different flydubai destinations. Customers frequently choose Kathmandu, Kuwait, the Maldives, Tel Aviv, and Zanzibar while travelling for work or pleasure.

Joint loyalty programme maximising customer rewards: More than 8.5 million members have been able to enjoy joint Emirates and flydubai frequent flyer programme benefits, earning 150 billion Skywards Miles in the last five years through the partnership.

Seamless connectivity at DXB: Customers enjoy seamless check-in, efficient baggage transfers, passenger access to Emirates’ lounges at Terminal 3 and the flydubai lounge at Terminal 2, reduced connection times as both airlines expand their flight schedules, and convenient connections to 33 flydubai destinations operated from Emirates Terminal 3 in DXB.

Continued network growth: New travel opportunities are being created for the 270,000 passengers who connect between both airlines each month as Emirates and flydubai continue to add more flights to their schedules. This offers customers more flexibility with multiple daily flight departures to destinations like Bahrain, Kuwait, Karachi, the Maldives, key cities in Saudi Arabia and Tel Aviv. Both airlines also continue to expand their networks, with Emirates recently reinstating flights to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. In 2022, flydubai’s network has grown bigger than ever, launching flights to Al Ula, Namangan, Osh, Pisa and Samarkand, to name a few. flydubai has also announced services to Gan in the Maldives, Cagliari and Milan-Bergamo in Italy, Corfu in Greece and Krabi and Pattaya in Thailand from 2023 as well as the resumption of flights to Abha, Ha’il, Hofuf and Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.

Continued investment in improving the passenger experience: As part of a $2 billion initiative that also includes upscale food options and more sustainable options, Emirates will begin retrofitting 120 aircraft with Premium Economy seats this month. On its short and medium-haul flights, flydubai has introduced a new Business Class reclining seat that offers passengers greater relaxation. With a fleet of 70 Boeing 737s, flydubai will upgrade some of its current aircraft as well as outfit its next aircraft with new Business Class seats.