Summary

  • Emirates & United launched a codeshare in 2023.
  • Emirates customers gained access to 150+ US cities, while United gained access to a comprehensive network across Asia.
  • Tim Clark reflects on the successful partnership with both United and Air Canada at this year’s IATA AGM.

It has been over a year since Emirates, one of the largest airlines in the Middle East, and United Airlines, one of North America’s most influential carriers, signed a codeshare agreement. On October 3rd, 2023 Emirates and United launched their codeshare partnership, making it easier for Emirates customers to access a more comprehensive selection of US destinations.

From that day, Emirates customers could fly to three of the nation’s significant business hubs—Chicago, Houston, or San Francisco—and easily connect to a broad network of domestic US destinations on United Airlines.

What does Tim Clark have to say about this agreement a year on?

During this year’s IATA AGM, Simple Flying had the opportunity to sit down and reflect with Sir Tim Clark over their partnership with the American carrier a year on. He told us about their current codeshare with United Airlines, commenting,

“It’s been very successful. They’re flying from New York to Dubai now. I’m unsure what their plans are for Washington, but this is the early stage”

CEO of Emirates Tim Clark

He reflected on how Emirates used to compete directly with all US significant airlines.

“You need to remember it wasn’t long ago that we were up against the Big Three. Whenever I went to the US, I told whoever I was with to work with us, not against us… But it all changed with Air Canada when we demonstrated we can achieve successful operations.”

Clark added,

“Now, United Airlines has been a great help not only for us but also for US customers benefiting from our network of destinations out of Dubai… Hopefully, we will see more plans for concrete new US routes in the near future.”

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How did this codeshare agreement help both airlines?

With the initiation of this partnership in 2023, Emirates customers heading to the US gained access to more than 150 US cities within the United network through these three gateways.

Similarly, Emirates customers in the US planning trips to Dubai and beyond found themselves with many choices. They could utilize United’s services to conveniently connect to Emirates-operated flights bound for Dubai via Chicago, Houston, or San Francisco. This development significantly broadened the options for US travelers venturing to Emirates’ extensive network beyond Dubai, covering many distinctive destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.

At the time, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, commented:

“We are delighted to activate this historic partnership with United and significantly expand our footprint in the US United’s vast network across the Americas will help us to offer more choice to our customer base from across the globe, and meet demand from across segments including the leisure, VFR, corporate travelers and students who can now connect seamlessly to and from a broader network of more than 150 domestic points.”

What do you think of Emirates’ expanding network of codeshare agreements? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Emirates has an extensive network of codeshare agreements with airlines across the globe.

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