The biggest airline in China is about to share codes with the biggest international airline in the world – a far-reaching deal with global implications.
Emirates and China Southern Airlines have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to progress a comprehensive reciprocal codeshare agreement, which is set to open up new destinations for passengers travelling between China and the Middle East and Africa.
The new codeshare partnership with China Southern Airlines will give Emirates customers connectivity to over 160 destinations in Asia Pacific.
Emirates said its partnership with the Guangzhou-based carrier would let Emirates’ passengers enjoy seamless connectivity on domestic flights within China, adding eight new destinations to its global network. The Chinese cities covered by the codeshare agreement include Fuzhou, Chongqing, Kunming, Qingdao, Xiamen, Chengdu, Nanjing and Xi ‘an during the initial phase of the partnership, subject to necessary government approvals.
Passengers travelling from China will have more choice and travel seamlessly with minimum connection times, when flying to destinations in Emirates’ Middle East network such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Muscat, Kuwait and Cairo. The codeshare agreement also includes flights to African destinations such as Seychelles and Lagos, operated by Emirates.
With the UAE’s visa-free policy for Chinese visitors, passengers can also enjoy hassle-free stopovers in Dubai, and experience what the city has to offer before flying to their final destinations. The codeshare partnership will provide customers with the simplicity of purchasing connecting flights using one reservation, and a smooth ticketing, check-in, boarding and baggage check experience during the entire journey.
“We’re pleased to establish a partnership with China Southern Airlines, allowing Emirates’ customers to benefit from increased choice, flexibility and ease of connection to different cities across China’s provinces, by connecting in Guangzhou,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president of strategic planning, revenue optimisation and aeropolitical affairs.
“The addition of the eight domestic routes in the initial stage expands our reach in China, beyond the three Chinese hub cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. In addition to enhancing our global network, China Southern’s customers will be able to seamlessly travel to destinations within the Middle East and Africa and beyond on a single ticket.”
“Today’s signing is especially monumental for Emirates, as it represents the first codeshare agreement between Emirates and a China-based airline. It is also the largest airline in China by passenger numbers so we are excited by the prospects the agreement brings. This will be an important milestone in our efforts to deepen Emirates’ presence in the Chinese market,” continued Kazim.
Chief operating officer of China Southern Air Holding Company, Han Wensheng, said Emirates was China Southern’s “first bi-directional partner in the Middle East”.
Strengthening cooperation was the long-term strategy of China Southern, he said.
“We are very pleased to enter into a codeshare partnership with Emirates. It signifies a key step for China Southern in the process of building new international partnerships. While code sharing is only the start of our cooperation, cooperative opportunities in a wider range of fields such as freight, frequent flyer benefits, lounge access, and airport collaboration will be explored in the future.”
Emirates currently has codeshare agreements in place with 23 partners around the world.
Edited by Peter Needham
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