DUBAI, UAE/JOHANNESBURG SOUTH AFRICA, 5 August 2026 - Emirates and South African Airways (SAA) today announced an expansion of their codeshare partnership, enabling access to nine cities and establishing the start of a reciprocal codeshare agreement between both carriers. The expanded partnership opens more destinations across central and southern Africa, simplifying connectivity for customers.

Since launching their codeshare agreement, Emirates and SAA have operated on a unilateral basis, with SAA placing its code on Emirates-operated flights between Dubai and Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, as well as interline access to 68 Emirates destinations worldwide via Dubai. With regulatory approvals secured, the new agreement will see Emirates place its code on SAA-operated flights, extending its network deeper into South Africa and neighbouring countries.

The expansion covers nine new routes including three domestic South African links connecting Johannesburg with Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, in addition to six regional routes linking Johannesburg with Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Gaborone (Botswana), Windhoek (Namibia), Lusaka (Zambia), Harare (Zimbabwe) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe).

Emirates and South African Airways have been partners for almost 30 years, marking one of the longest partnerships in Emirates’ portfolio. Since 1997, millions of passengers have benefitted from the partnership, with frictionless, single-ticket travel. This extension to the codeshare underscores the ongoing commitment to providing greater access, convenience and choices to travellers from South Africa and neighbouring countries.

The move builds on Emirates’ longstanding commitment to providing reliable, consistent connectivity for passengers travelling to, from and within South Africa and the broader region. It also responds to strong demand for travel to South Africa from key international markets, particularly across Europe, while providing customers with greater access to destinations throughout southern and central Africa.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said, “This reciprocal codeshare partnership with South African Airways is a natural evolution of a relationship that has served our customers well for many years. By placing our code on SAA’s domestic and regional network, we are opening up seamless access to destinations across South Africa and neighbouring countries, backed by the reliability and consistency our customers expect from Emirates. It reinforces our long-term commitment to South Africa and wider region, and our confidence in the continent’s continued growth.”

Matshela Seshibe, Acting Group CEO of SAA, said, “The expansion of our partnership with Emirates marks an important milestone in SAA’s strategy to strengthen connectivity across Africa while enhancing access to global markets. Through this reciprocal codeshare agreement, customers will benefit from a more seamless travel experience and greater choice across our combined networks. This partnership is about more than connecting destinations. It is about connecting people, businesses and opportunities across the continent and beyond. By combining SAA’s growing African network with Emirates’ extensive global reach, we are creating greater value for our customers and reinforcing Johannesburg’s role as a key gateway for travel, trade and tourism in Africa.”

Emirates in South Africa

Emirates has been flying to South Africa since 1995, starting with its inaugural flight to Johannesburg. Since then, the airline has scaled operations, increased frequencies and gateways to Cape Town and Durban and served over 20 million passengers to and from the market. Currently, Emirates operates 56 weekly flights across the three gateways. South Africa is also the only market on Emirates’ Africa network to receive all three widebody aircraft types: the Boeing 777, the Airbus A380 and the A350.

As part of its commitment to offering best-in-class products to travellers in South Africa, the airline’s award-winning Premium Economy experience is available on flights between Dubai and both Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Customers travelling on the new codeshare routes will benefit from convenient single-ticket bookings, coordinated schedules and through-checked baggage to their final destination.

Tickets can now be booked on www.emirates.com, via travel agents or at Emirates’ retail stores.

Dubai, UAE, 9 June 2026 – Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, and Real Madrid CF, the world’s most successful football club have renewed their partnership, extending one of the highest profile sponsorships in football through to 2031, and cementing a relationship that will span close to two decades.

Emirates has been a proud partner of Real Madrid since 2011, with the relationship deepening further in 2013 when the airline became the club's official jersey sponsor. As part of the renewed partnership, Emirates will continue as Official Main Sponsor and Official Airline Partner of both the men’s and women’s teams, with its iconic branding on player jerseys, training kits, and team staff apparel across all major competitions, including La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. The renewal also marks a major milestone for both brands – becoming the longest-running jersey sponsorship in La Liga history.

Beyond match kits, the renewed agreement includes extensive Emirates brand visibility throughout Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, access to the club's training facilities, and the Emirates Lounge, an exclusive in-stadium hospitality space that brings the airline's signature experience to its loyal customers and trade partners. The partnership also extends to Real Madrid's youth teams, supporting the development of the next generation of talent at the grassroots level, and underlining the airline’s commitment to the future of the game.

The sponsorship also strengthens the airline’s presence in basketball, covering a newly signed multi-year agreement making Emirates Official Main Sponsor of Real Madrid's basketball club through 2031.

Boutros Boutros, Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand said: “Emirates has a long history of championing football, connecting with millions of people and bringing communities together through our shared love of the game. What we have built with Real Madrid is a shining example of that commitment, putting fans at the heart of the game, giving them access to moments they will never forget, and inspiring the next generation of fans and players.

"As our relationship with Real Madrid grew, so did our presence in Spain. Since our first flight to Madrid in 2010, we’ve expanded our footprint in the country with five daily flights across Barcelona and Madrid, added new cities to our global network with reliable and convenient connectivity via Dubai, and enhanced the travel experience by bringing the latest and greatest Emirates onboard products to Spanish skies, a signal of our long-term commitment to the market.”

For his part, Florentino Pérez, President of Real Madrid, highlighted the significance of the agreement: "Our partnership reflects the strong and unique relationship we have built over the years. We have stood side by side throughout one of the most successful periods in our club’s history, and we remain committed to continuing this journey together."

With a shared commitment to excellence – whether on the pitch, the court or in the skies – Emirates and Real Madrid have spent 15 years bringing fans closer to the action. The airline has emblazoned it’s support for the team on several A380 aircraft over the years with bespoke decals starring first-team players, as well as  full aircraft liveries on the dedicated Boeing 777 for chartered services from Madrid to Jeddah for the Spanish Super Cup tournament. The two iconic brands have also collaborated on money-can’t-buy fan experiences such as meet and greets, match day activations and competitions to bring the most passionate fans to the games.

A longstanding commitment to football

Emirates’ commitment to football is reflected in a series of enduring partnerships with some of the sport's most storied clubs, with its iconic branding proudly displayed on jerseys of Arsenal FC, AC Milan, Real Madrid CF, S.L. Benfica, and Olympique Lyonnais. Emirates is also the Platinum Partner to German football powerhouse FC Bayern Munich's first team. Emirates has been the title sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup for nearly a decade, and in the UAE, the airline supports the Pro League, consisting of 14 clubs competing for a national title.

Emirates' sponsorship portfolio is the largest of any airline and spans the world’s most beloved, most played and most watched sports, including football, tennis, rugby, basketball, sailing, cycling, golf, horse-racing, cricket and even Aussie Rules Football. Through its global sponsorship portfolio, Emirates brings fans closer to the sports, clubs, and events they love.

Going beyond the game, Emirates leverages the power of sports to make a positive impact on the communities it serves around the world. In 2025, the airline launched the Emirates Signature Series, auctioning off an exclusive collection of signed football jerseys from hugely popular clubs such as Real Madrid, AC Milan, Arsenal, SL Benfica and FC Bayern Munich. All proceeds were donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation, the airline’s dedicated non-profit organisation, or the philanthropic organisations that each football club supports.

The airline also supports communities by providing access to match tickets, behind-the-scenes stadium tours, and opportunities for young fans to meet and engage with unique player experiences, creating once-in-a-lifetime moments that inspire and connect with the next generation of football enthusiasts.

Exclusive suite, elevated experience

Emirates will once again welcome guests across its two exclusive hospitality spaces at Roland-Garros — the Emirates Lounge in the Hospitality Village and Salon Philippe-Chatrier – offering exceptional views of the action and the airline’s renowned hospitality.

With a sponsorship portfolio boasting the world’s most beloved, most played and most watched sports across tennis, rugby, football, basketball, cycling, golf, horse-racing, cricket, sailing and even Aussie Rules Football, Emirates is also set to welcome some of the greatest athletes of all time to the Emirates Lounge to enjoy the tournament.

 Game on, in the Roland-Garros app

Check out the interactive Emirates game in the Roland-Garros app for a chance to win big prizes. Virtually fly an Emirates aircraft over iconic Australian landmarks and natural wonders such as the Sydney Opera House, Uluru, Stadium Australia, and the outback, and capture as many bonus rings as you can. Top scorers are in for the chance to win two tickets to attend Roland-Garros 2027!

 Also keep an eye out for the iconic Emirates A380 emblazoned with the bespoke livery celebrating all four Grand Slams, soaring across your screen whenever you open the Roland-Garros app. The very same aircraft design can also be spotted in skies around the world, bringing Emirates’ passion for tennis to life both on screen and in the air.

 En Route to France

Until 7 June, passengers can get in the Roland-Garros spirit onboard Emirates’ flights between Dubai and France. Special curated menus will be available in all cabins, with seasonal favourites and delicious tennis-inspired desserts. Roland-Garros headrest covers will grace every cabin, weaving the spirit of the tournament into the onboard experience.

Emirates award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice, will also be showing the tournament live in all cabins, on all flights worldwide, so you can tune into the action on Sport 24 and Extra while in the sky.

Connecting with the Community

This Saturday, Emirates will participate in Yannick Noah Day at Roland-Garros, inviting tennis-loving young athletes from Attrap’la Balle for a behind the scenes tour of the stadium.

Once the tournament begins, young athletes from Attrap’la Balle will participate in the coin toss at the Trophée des Légendes contest, signalling the start of each match, meeting tennis legends and taking photos with Emirates’ friendly cabin crew.

Dubai, UAE, 16 April 2026 – On the sidelines of Africa’s World Travel Market (WTM), Emirates and Wesgro have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive inbound tourism and boost visitors to Cape Town and the Western Cape. The partnership underscores the airline’s longstanding commitment to the market through attracting visitors from across its global network supporting the province’s strategy of unlocking tourism growth.

The MoU was signed by Afzal Parambil, Emirates’ Regional Manager for Southern Africa and Wrenelle Stander, Wesgro’s Chief Executive Officer, at the Emirates’ stand at WTM. Under the agreement, Emirates and Wesgro will collaborate on boosting travel from key growth markets including the GCC, Far East, India, and other mutually identified source markets, to promote the destination and encourage travellers to experience the abundance of natural, cultural and historical attractions.

Afzal Parambil said, “Cape Town is one of our most visited and most consistently in-demand destinations on our African network. Through this agreement with Wesgro, a longstanding and essential regional partner, we will collaborate to unlock new growth opportunities and further stimulate inbound tourism from key destinations on our global network, by showcasing the beauty and breadth of experience that Cape Town and the Western Cape have to offer. This partnership also further supports and complements our plan to introduce a third daily frequency to Cape Town, served by our newest aircraft type, the Airbus A350. This agreement is another signal of our steadfast commitment to South Africa. We look forward to playing a meaningful role in Cape Town’s tourism success story for years to come.”

Wrenelle Stander said: “As the tourism, trade, and investment promotion agency for the region, Wesgro continues to focus on stimulating demand, strengthening trade relationships, and unlocking new opportunities across priority markets. Partnerships with organisations such as Emirates offer system-scale opportunities to engage global stakeholders and accelerate this momentum. Through ongoing collaboration with airlines, tourism trade and industry partners, Wesgro is positioning Cape Town and the Western Cape as a leading destination for both business and leisure - offering world-class, premium experiences, with love from the locals.”

Tourism is a key pillar in Cape Town and the Western Cape’s economy, creating tens of thousands of employment opportunities and serving millions of tourists who visit the country each year. The partnership between Emirates and Wesgro supports the province’s Growth for Jobs Strategy, which aims to unlock inclusive and sustainable tourism growth. In 2025 Cape Town International Airport recorded a record-breaking 11.1 million two-way passenger traffic, accounting for both domestic and international travellers. In recent years, Emirates has seen consistently high demand for travel into Cape Town, with high volumes of passengers from the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.

Emirates first launched services to Cape Town in March 2008, the airline’s second city in South Africa, after Johannesburg which began operations in 1995. Over the years, Emirates has steadily scaled operations to foster strong and reliable connectivity between Cape Town and the wider world, via Dubai.

In 2025, Emirates deployed its retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft to the city and, this summer, is planning to add third daily frequency, served by its newest aircraft type, the Airbus A350. The deployment enhances travel options between South Africa and Dubai, with Emirates’ full suite of products and services available for customers to enjoy – from the iconic A380 and the fully-retrofitted Boeing 777 to the next-gen A350. South Africa remains the only African nation to be served by all three aircraft in Emirates’ fleet.

Beyond passenger connectivity, Emirates SkyCargo facilitates trade to and from South Africa, further stimulating the economy and connecting South African businesses with their global customers, quickly, reliably and efficiently. From Cape Town, Emirates SkyCargo moves significant volume of fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables, chilled meats, dairy, seafood and fresh cut flowers, transporting perishables from farm to shop with turnaround times of just 24 – 48 hours.

Nairobi, Kenya, 25 February, 2026 — Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has introduced a first-of-its-kind split-payment solution for travellers in Kenya, through a longstanding strategic partnership with Cellulant, Africa’s leading payments technology company. The split-payment capability, enabled by Tingg, Cellulant’s payment gateway, has debuted in Kenya and is expected to roll out to other African markets in the coming months.

Available on Emirates’ website, Tingg’s split payment feature, offers greater financial flexibility by allowing customers to combine multiple payment methods across mobile money, mobile banking and local credit and debit cards. The partnership also enables customers to make an initial payment online, followed by up to four additional instalments across 24 hours, unlocking greater purchasing power and making airfares more accessible to mobile-first customers.

“With hundreds of millions of Africans relying on mobile money as their preferred way to pay, extending this convenience to global travel payments is essential,” said Michael Muriuki, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Cellulant. “Through Tingg, we are enabling Emirates customers to complete high-value transactions seamlessly, without transaction limits becoming a barrier to access.”

Commenting on the partnership, Christophe Leloup, Emirates’ Country Manager for Kenya, said, “Kenya is one of the most dynamic markets on our global network, and we’re always looking for ways to enhance our customer experience across every touchpoint, including the booking process. By introducing split payments, through Tingg by Cellulant, we unlock greater flexibility and convenience, while enabling more customers to access our world-class product and services.”

Solving a Real Pain Point: the Split-Payment Breakthrough

Mobile money is the dominant form of payment across Africa, with over 1 billion registered mobile money wallets and more than 80 billion transactions totalling over US$1 trillion. Yet despite its widespread adoption, per-transaction and daily limits on mobile wallets often prevent customers from completing high-value purchases, such as international airline tickets, forcing customers to abandon bookings.

By introducing the split-payment solution available through Cellulant’s payment platform, Tingg, Emirates directly addresses this challenge by allowing customers to complete ticket bookings while remaining within provider-imposed limits.

The split-payment feature joins Emirates’ raft of other financing options, designed to make airfare more accessible to customers. In Kenya, Emirates enables payments through mobile apps such as M-Pesa and Safaricom or via mobile banking transfer, through partner banks, via Cellulant. Across the region, Emirates and Cellulant also facilitate a variety of finance options in 14 markets across Africa such as South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe.

The launch comes as Emirates adds a third daily flight on the Dubai–Nairobi route from 1 March 2026, increasing capacity on a corridor that has seen strong demand. In recent months, Emirates has operated its double daily flights at a consistently strong seat factor, reflecting growing demand for air travel between Kenya and global destinations. By pairing the extra flights with locally aligned payment options, Cellulant and Emirates are ensuring that demand is met with accessibility.

To book tickets with split payment, customers can visit the Emirates website.

About Cellulant

Cellulant is Africa’s leading payments company, providing seamless, secure, and innovative solutions that empower businesses, banks, and global brands to thrive in a fast-changing global economy.

With a presence in over 24 countries and support for more than 200 payment methods, including cards, bank transfers, and mobile money, our single API payment platform, Tingg, streamlines collections, disbursements, and reconciliations. It processes over 4.5 million transactions daily for market leaders across various sectors, including Travel & Hospitality, Telecoms, E-commerce, Ride-Hailing, Trade, and Remittances.

By simplifying how people pay and get paid, we drive trust, commerce, and scale, connecting companies and people to their ambitions.

Starting immediately, Emirates customers will have access to 22 points across China operated by Loong Air via Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The cities span several regions across East, Northeast, South, Central, and Southwest China.

The partnership offers customers the simplicity of booking multi-airline itineraries with a single fare, along with one seamless baggage policy and consistent fare conditions throughout their journey. Emirates' expanded reach in China will further enhance connectivity for leisure and business travellers alike, unlocking convenient access to key domestic hubs including Zhengzhou, Changchun, Haikou, Xiangyang, and Dazhou.

Tickets can be purchased on www.emirates.com, Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) and with all major GDS’ via travel agents.  Customers booking through Emirates’ official website can also enjoy the convenience of online payment methods such as WeChat Pay and Alipay.

Emirates in China

The launch of an interline agreement with Loong Air is part of Emirates' ongoing commitment to the Chinese market. Last year, the airline launched flights to two new destinations - Shenzhen and Hangzhou, and has further enhanced its product offerings by deploying its award-winning Premium Economy on these new routes, in addition to bringing back its iconic A380 on Shanghai flights.

Emirates has been operating in the Chinese mainland since 2004. Today, the airlineserves five major cities with 49 weekly flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou using a mix of A380s, A350s and Boeing 777s. 

In addition to Loong Air, Emirates is also partnered with Air China, China Southern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines, offering customers access to more than 110 points in China beyond its own network, via its existing 5 gateways.  

About Loong Air

Zhejiang Loong Airlines Co., Ltd. (abbreviation: Loong Air) was founded on April 19, 2011. It launched passenger services on December 29, 2013. Headquartered in Hangzhou, the airline has established Northwest, Southwest, and Central-South branches in Xi'an, Chengdu, and Guangzhou respectively.

Loong Air launched its inaugural international passenger flight on June 28, 2016. To date, the airline has opened multiple international routes, including Hangzhou=Hong Kong and Xi’an=Tashkent. It has also established interline partnerships with carriers such as Cathay Pacific and Uzbekistan Airways.

The agreement offers passengers of both airlines frictionless, single-ticket travel and with through-checked baggage, on select routes, resulting in greater travel comfort and convenience for customers.

Beyond the 13 cities in Nigeria* already available for Emirates passengers on Air Peace’s network, the enhanced interline agreement now enables travellers to connect with Banjul in Gambia and Dakar in Senegal, both via Abidjan; and with Freetown in Sierra Leone and Monrovia in Liberia, both via Accra. The additional gateways allow more passengers in Africa to access Emirates world-class product and services, and vast global network.

The agreement allows Air Peace to connect its extensive West and Central African route system into Emirates’ hub in Dubai, and on key destinations including London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Stansted, Abidjan, Accra and, of course, Lagos. With huge demand for travel between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, providing Air Peace passengers with increased choice, flexibility, and global reach.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said, “Enhancing our interline partnership with Air Peace allows us to expand our footprint across more of Africa, creating new opportunities for people to fly better with Emirates, while helping international tourists explore more of the region, via Lagos. We remain committed to working with strategic partners such as Air Peace to further strengthen Nigeria’s aviation, tourism and trade sectors.”

Nowel Ngala, Chief Commercial Officer, Air Peace, said: “This interline agreement with Emirates represents a major step in Air Peace’s strategic vision to connect Africa more efficiently to global markets. By combining our strong regional presence with Emirates’ extensive international network, we are delivering seamless connectivity, improved travel experience, and greater access to key global destinations for African travellers. This partnership further reinforces Air Peace’s role as a critical bridge between Africa and the global aviation ecosystem.”

Emirates operates a Boeing 777-300ER on its Dubai-Lagos route, providing travellers with one of the best experiences in the sky. Passengers can dine on regionally inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages, while tuning in to over 6,500 channels of global entertainment – including Nollywood classics – on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system. As one of only two airlines operating a First Class cabin into Nigeria, Emirates offers an unrivalled travel experience defined by comfort, privacy and luxurious touches.

With a fleet of over 50 aircraft including Boeing 777s, Boeing 737s, Embraers, Air Peace operates an expanding network of domestic, regional, and international services, connecting major cities across Africa and beyond. The airline remains committed to strengthening intra-African connectivity, supporting trade and tourism, and contributing meaningfully to economic development across the continent.

To take advantage of Emirates and Air Peace interline, tickets can be booked on emirates.com, flyairpeace.com or via travel agents.  

* Current destinations on Air Peace’s network, available to Emirates passengers, via Lagos: Asaba, Abuja, Akure, Benin City, Calabar, Enugu, Ilorin, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Warri, Uyo.

About Air Peace

Air Peace is Nigeria’s largest airline, operating domestic, regional, and international services with a rapidly growing fleet and route network across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Since its inception, Air Peace has remained focused on serving the Nigerian population, enhancing regional integration in Africa, promoting seamless connectivity on its international routes, while at the time positioning Africa more competitively within the global aviation market

The unilateral partnership between both carriers enables Emirates to expand its reach in the Caribbean, allowing its customers to connect on The Bahamas’ national flag carrier from two gateways in Florida to two destinations within The Bahamas - Nassau/Paradise Island and Freeport on Grand Bahama Island.

The interline partnership came into effect following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both airlines in June. Emirates’ customers can book an entire journey from across its network to Orlando or Miami and connect to Nassau or Freeport – all with the simplicity of a single ticket and with additional benefits including a single baggage policy for both airlines.

Florida gateways, Miami and Orlando, are amongst the 12 U.S. destinations that the world’s largest international airline currently flies to. Emirates serves Miami with daily flights utilising its retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft featuring four cabin classes, along with five-weekly services to Orlando aboard its Boeing 777 aircraft in a three-class configuration. From the two Florida gateways, customers can connect to the services of Bahamasair, operated by a Boeing 737 aircraft, to two major points in the country.

Earlier this year, Emirates also signed an MoU with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas to jointly promote tourism to the Caribbean nation.

The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, now in its 13^th edition and taking place from 30 September till 2 November, will be hosted in India. Marking a notable moment in history, this is the first time a Women’s 50-over World Cup will be officiated entirely by an all-women team of match officials.

Welcoming the ICC match officials at Emirates Group Headquarters in Dubai, Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Executive Vice President for Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand said: “As the Official Airline Partner of the ICC, Emirates is proud to support the first all-women team of match officials who will preside over the matches in this important tournament. We are especially delighted to be associated with this event as it aligns with our shared values on many levels. Not only is it a great platform to engage with fans through the passion for sports, but the sports event also stands as an ode to gender equity, celebrating inclusivity and equal opportunity on and off the field.”

In line with the theme of supporting women in sports, Emirates also supports the ICC 100% Cricket Future Leaders Programme which aims to provide more world-class development opportunities to aspiring female leaders in the sport. As the Official Airline partner of the ICC, Emirates provides exclusive fares and discounts to participants in the programme, enabling connections to unique learning opportunities outside of their home countries, in addition to linking them to mentors to help build the next generation of female leaders within cricket.

Already in its third decade, Emirates’ partnership with the ICC is one of the most established in world sport. The ICC partnership sees Emirates featured on the official kit of the ICC Elite and International Panels of Umpires. Alongside the Umpires, Emirates sponsors the Elite and International Panels of ICC Match Referees.

Together with branding and media exposure to cricket fans around the world, Emirates also transports umpires and referees to international events as the Global Partner of the ICC.  Emirates’ branding is also highly visible at all major events including the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC World Test Championship Final.

Together, Emirates and IHG will explore ways to reach and engage with SMEs through value-added benefits and exclusive rewards to facilitate business travel. The hotel group will provide enhanced travel incentives and seamless integration with its extensive portfolio of hotels and resorts around the globe.

Present at the signing ceremony was Nabil Sultan, Executive Vice President for Passenger Sales and Country Management, who commented: “With the SME segment playing a crucial role in fostering economic growth and creating jobs, Emirates is committed to supporting them with solutions and value-added propositions to meet their travel needs. We are pleased to collaborate with the leading hotel group, IHG Hotels & Resorts, to explore programmes that will be mutually beneficial to our valued customers. Together we aim to extend valuable benefits to our customers in the SME sector, while expanding our customer base in this very important segment."

Mark Sergot, SVP, Global Sales, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Emirates to redefine business travel for Small and Medium Enterprises worldwide. This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to delivering exceptional value, seamless experiences, and exclusive rewards tailored to the unique needs of SMEs. By combining IHG’s hospitality expertise with Emirate’s global connectivity, we are unlocking new possibilities to empower businesses and drive growth across international markets.”

Kickstarting a bumper summer of sport, Emirates will be celebrating The Championships via bespoke Wimbledon inspired menus onboard flights between Dubai and the UK, branded beverage coasters and headrests across all different cabins, and even offering tennis fans the chance to win a holiday to Dubai via its on the ground interactive booth at the event.*

Serving an ace at 40,000 feet

Emirates’ passengers will be in for a treat at 40,000 feet with specially curated Pimm’s cocktails and strawberry mocktails, and strawberries and cream for dessert served in the A380 Onboard Lounge.

Economy and Premium Economy Class passengers travelling with Emirates between the UK and Dubai from now until 13^th July can indulge in cream cheese mousse served with strawberry compote and hazelnut streusel, strawberry tart, strawberry panna cotta and strawberry cheesecake.

First and Business Class passengers will enjoy special menus onboard with delicious panko-crusted lamb cutlets and tasty desserts including honey cake with strawberry compote, handcrafted pastries, and lemon strawberry cupcakes featuring a Championships logo dessert topper.

First Class passengers will also be gifted Emirates-branded Wimbledon 2025 seasonal towels, produced by Christy, the Official Towel Supplier of The Championships.

Premium travellers can also look forward to refreshing Sipsmith cocktails served in the First Class Lounge in Dubai, along with classic fish and chips, and strawberry profiteroles.

On the court action

Tennis fans can follow every serve across Emirates Lounges in Dubai and the UK or stay connected to the action at cruising altitude via Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra on the airline’s award-winning ice entertainment system.

Passengers can also enjoy watching more than 40 sports programmes including tennis movies such as ‘The Racket,’ ‘Gods of Tennis,’ and Wimbledon’s official film, featuring all the action from 2024.

Serving another year of “fly better” experiences on the grounds

Emirates will once again showcase its award-winning hospitality throughout The Championships. Guests can look forward to exquisite meals and the finest beverages, including First Class wines served onboard such as Château Margaux 2004, and Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru Bouchard Père & Fils 2013, as well as other premium wine offerings such as Cloudy Bay, and Sauvignon Blanc Chateau D’Esclans’ Rock Angel.

The ‘Emirates Experience’ stand will return to The Championships grounds, and fans can enjoy interactive experiences and exclusive giveaways including a chance to win a getaway to Dubai with Emirates Holidays. * Young tennis supporters can also explore Emirates-branded tennis courts and take part in the Emirates Cup to earn free items in Wimbleworld on Roblox.

Take home exclusive merchandise

From Emirates branded Christy Towels, bespoke Championships branded A380 aircraft models, clothing, accessories and more, fans can get their hands on a range of merchandise available at the Emirates Official Store in-store and online.

Emirates’ sponsorships in the UK

Emirates is the Official Airline and Premier Partner of the ATP Tour. The airline’s tennis portfolio includes the highest profile events in the world, including all four Grand Slams, and 60 other tournaments across the year.

Earlier this year, Emirates and The All England Lawn Tennis Club announced a multi-million-pound investment to launch ‘Championing Nature’ – a new programme aimed at creating positive, lasting impact in urban communities through greater connections and engagement with nature. The programme will be delivered by four Wildlife Trusts: the London Wildlife Trust; Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust; the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester, and North Merseyside; and Northumberland Wildlife Trust – with each Trust receiving investment to help fund bespoke projects and initiatives in their local urban areas to connect more children and families to nature.

In the UK, the airline is also a proud partner of Arsenal FC, the Emirates FA Cup, Lancashire Cricket Club, Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth in addition to Emirates Old Trafford, and Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team.

Emirates currently serves the UK with 133 weekly flights including: six times daily A380 to London Heathrow; three times daily A380 service to Gatwick; twice daily service to Stansted; three times daily A380 service to Manchester; twice daily service to Birmingham (including a daily A380 service); daily service to Newcastle; daily A380 service to Glasgow; and a daily A350 service to Edinburgh.

The airline’s extensive network of more than 140 destinations offers customers access to an array of onward connections to Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Africa, and Australasia.

*Terms and conditions apply

DUBAI, UAE 19 June 2025: Emirates and Uber have announced a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore ways to make journeys more seamless, effortless and rewarding for travellers. This includes enhancing the on-ground mobility experience for Emirates customers, while offering Skywards members loyalty benefits when using the Uber platform across select markets within the Emirates network.*

The MoU was signed by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer and Anabel Diaz Calderon, Vice President and Head of EMEA Mobility at Uber.  

Through this partnership, Emirates and Uber will work towards introducing several initiatives to offer travellers more seamless and effortless journeys. These include; Developing an integrated booking experience  that combines Uber Rides Vouchers with flight bookings for easier airport transfers or in-city rides. Additionally, Emirates and Uber will explore offering Uber rides to and from the airport for select Emirates customers, supporting a complete door-to-destination experience.

The partnership will explore strategic opportunities to closely collaborate on offering Skywards members in the UAE the opportunity to earn on rides or redeem their miles for Uber app credits or vouchers. Emirates Skywards will also explore ways for members in the UAE to benefit from earning Miles on Uber rides across select markets  in the Emirates network.

Another area of collaboration will include exploring opportunities around Last Mile delivery initiatives for Emirates Courier Express, leveraging Uber’s advanced technology platform and vast network of global Delivery partners to enhance customer reach, speed and efficiency.

Adnan Kazim said: “Emirates is excited to join forces with Uber as part of our commitment to delivering seamless travel experiences. In the months ahead, we’ll closely work together to leverage our combined capabilities in travel and technology to expand planning options, create more connected end-to-end journeys across our network, and introduce exciting new benefits for our Skywards members. We look forward to a successful partnership and the valuable opportunities it will create for our customers.”

Commenting on the partnership, Anabel Diaz Calderon, Vice President, Head of EMEA Mobility at Uber said: "We're thrilled to partner with Emirates, a global leader in aviation, to shape the future of travel. With tailored Uber airport rides offering seamless door-to-destination journeys and loyalty benefits for Uber and Emirates customers, this collaboration will redefine the travel experience for millions of passengers.”

To maximise awareness around the rollout of initiatives under the partnership, Emirates and Uber will explore leveraging cross promotional marketing campaigns across the airline’s network.

*Commercial, technical implementation and reward structure integrations will be determined in the coming months.

About Uber

Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 58 billion trips later, we’re building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.

The partnership enables Emirates to expand its reach in the Caribbean, allowing customers to utilise the services of The Bahamas’ national flag carrier from Florida to one of three destinations on the island country.

Under the unilateral agreement, customers traveling on Emirates to Miami or Orlando will be able to connect to Bahamasair flights to Nassau, Freeport or San Salvador, with the added convenience of booking itineraries with both airlines on a single ticket. Additionally, Emirates’ customers will enjoy generous baggage allowance when flying on Bahamasair to the three destinations.

Commenting on the new interline partnership, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are pleased to establish an interline partnership with Bahamasair to expand our reach to new and exciting destinations and offer travel options for our customers planning journeys to the Caribbean nation. The interline partnership offers customers the convenience of connecting in Florida for travel onwards to points across the islands of The Bahamas, while enjoying competitive fare pricing, the convenience of booking the entire journey on a single ticket and a generous baggage policy.”

“This partnership also supports our agreement with The Bahamas’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote the Caribbean destination across our network.”

As part of the MoU, both carriers will also explore opportunities to enhance their cargo interline cooperation and potential partnerships under their frequent flyer programmes.

Bahamasair Managing Director, Tracy Cooper said: “This partnership significantly elevates Bahamasair’s global profile and opens access to invaluable expertise and new markets. By aligning with one of the world’s most respected airlines, we strengthen our capabilities and lay the groundwork for sustained international growth.”

Florida gateways, Miami and Orlando, are amongst the 12 U.S. destinations that the world’s largest international airline currently flies. Emirates serves Miami with daily flights with its Boeing 777, along with five-weekly services to Orlando, connecting travellers across its expansive network of over 140 destinations.

On the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market, Emirates and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote tourism to the Caribbean nation in a partnership aimed at further developing the country’s tourism and trade industries.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the 81st Annual General Meeting  (IATA AGM) and World Air Transport Summit (WATS) in New Delhi.

The MoU was signed by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer and Yan Fei, Air China’s Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer, accompanied by senior executives from both sides.

Adnan Kazim said: “Our partnership with Air China commenced 26 years ago (July 1999) and since 2018 approximately, 18,000 Emirates customers have benefited from the expanded connectivity offered through our interline agreement.

Building on this success, we've recently announced the launch of two new Chinese cities—Shenzhen and Hangzhou—which will strengthen our East Asia operations. Shenzhen will feature our best-in-class products, including our brand-new Premium Economy cabin. As we continue expanding our investments in Chinese mainland, we look forward to deepening our partnership with Air China to meet growing travel demand in this strategic market and create new pathways for travel and trade between China and the global community."

Yan Fei said: “Air China highly values the cooperation with Emirates. The signing of this memorandum is an important milestone for the deepening of the cooperation between the two sides. Air China continues to implement "Belt and Road Initiative". By collaborating with Emirates, we will further expand our route network in China-UAE and global market and jointly promote global connectivity."

Under the MOU, Emirates and Air China will explore a reciprocal codeshare on select routes across each other’s networks. This would allow each airline to place its code on the other’s flights on China-UAE trunk routes as well as beyond Beijing and Dubai to an expanded list of points. *

Emirates and Air China will also develop a framework for cooperation across cargo operations and respective frequent flyer loyalty programme, enhancing their value proposition for both travellers and businesses.

To further ensure seamless connectivity for customers, the two carriers will explore coordinating flight schedules or adjusting minimum connecting times. Once activated, customers of both airlines will benefit from a seamless booking process, single ticket itineraries and wider lounge access to new and exciting destinations.

Beyond commercial cooperation, both carriers plan to exchange best practices in areas such as revenue management, data analytics, digitalisation, brand management and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), among others, through joint knowledge sharing and familiarisation visits.

Emirates in Chinese mainland

From 30 July, Emirates will operate 49 weekly flights to the Chinese mainland, including double daily services to Beijing and Shanghai as well as daily flights to Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou. The airline's continued expansion into the Chinese mainland reflects the deepening UAE-China bilateral ties and underscores Emirates' longstanding commitment to advancing the objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative.

* Subject to government approvals.

Port-Louis, Mauritius - 23 May 2025: Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has officially launched its new Travel Store in Port-Louis, Mauritius, marking a significant milestone in the airline’s commitment to enhancing travel experiences for its customers.

At the opening ceremony, Emirates’ long-standing partnership with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) was also extended in its commitment to promote tourism to the island, through a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Located at The Docks 2, United Docks Business Park, Caudan, Port Louis, the 1,895 square foot travel store offers immersive experiences grounded in technology, and best-in-class support from dedicated teams on the ground. 

The store was officially inaugurated by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer in the presence of the Honourable Shakeel Mohamed, Minister of Housing and Lands; Saeed Mohamed Saeed Baomran, Acting Head of Mission, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, along with other distinguished guests, trade partners, and media representatives. Also present were members of Emirates’ senior leadership and management team including Nabil Sultan, Executive Vice President Passenger Sales and Country Management; Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations (West Asia & Indian Ocean); Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President International Affairs and Oomar Ramtoola, Manager - Indian Ocean Islands. 

At the official opening of the travel store, Adnan Kazim said: “We have been operating in Mauritius for 23 years, and launching our travel store demonstrates our commitment to growing our presence on the island nation. Here, our customers can discover and enjoy the convenience of our innovative products and digital services. Our staff is trained to offer personalised service, enhancing the customer experience at every stage. This store will enable Mauritian travelers to experience the essence of Emirates before they even begin their journey."

The Emirates Travel Store provides customers with the opportunity to explore the latest inflight products available on its aircraft, as well as various destinations within the airline's network. Trained staff are on hand to offer personalised assistance, helping customers effortlessly plan their trips, book tickets, and manage their travel preferences as well as answering general inquiries related to Emirates and the Skywards loyalty program.

In addition, the store features self-service kiosks and a selfie mirror that allows customers to take pictures against backdrops of popular Emirates destinations. It also offers a curated selection of exclusive Emirates-branded merchandise and travel accessories, making it a comprehensive destination for travelers seeking both inspiration and convenience.

MTPA partnership anchors commitment to tourism growth

Emirates’ executives visit to Mauritius also saw the airline and Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) renewing their long-standing partnership to continue developing the island’s thriving tourism industry. Building on 13 years of commitment the airline and MPTA have signed a new MoU to continue their mission of promoting the Indian Ocean destination to key audiences globally.

The MoU was signed by Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Claire Le Lay, Chairperson of the MTPA. Presiding over the signing ceremony was the Honourable Shakeel Mohamed, Minister of Housing and Lands.

Emirates and MTPA have been collaborating on joint initiatives to showcase the appeal of Mauritius to stakeholders in key markets, since 2012. By engaging its extensive network of travel agents and tour operators to promote the destination’s unique adventure offerings to key audiences in France, the UK, South Africa, Germany, and more, Emirates has played a significant role in contributing to the island nation’s tourist arrivals, which exceeded 1.3 million in 2024. The two parties’ joint efforts have included the development of tailor-made packages including excursions, attractions and accommodation to suit a range of budgets.

Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean said: “Since 2002, Emirates has been proudly serving Mauritius with our award-winning services and premium offerings which appeal to a global audience. By drawing on our extensive network of travel partners, we continue to succeed in bringing holidaymakers to Mauritius to enjoy what the island has to offer. Our double daily A380 services have been a major contributor to the growth of the country’s tourism industry and lifeblood of the local community.”

The Minister of Tourism, The Honorable Richard Duval added: “We are delighted to renew and further strengthen our valued partnership with Emirates – a relationship that has played a pivotal role in positioning Mauritius as a world-class tourism destination.  Over the years, this collaboration has helped increase our connectivity in key markets and contributed directly to the growth of tourist arrivals.

“This renewed Memorandum of Understanding is a testament to our shared vision of sustainable tourism development and our continued commitment to showcasing the rich cultural, natural and experiential offerings of Mauritius to a global audience.”

“I would like to express my gratitude to Emirates for their continuous support.  I have no doubt that we will continue to work hard together hand-in-hand to ensure that Mauritius remains a top-of-mind destination for travellers worldwide.”

Claire Le Lay, Chairperson of the MTPA said: “The MTPA is delighted to renew this strategic partnership, which highlights Emirates’ commitment to supporting our efforts in promoting Mauritius as a premier tourism destination. Emirates’ unparalleled connectivity through Dubai has opened new horizons for us, enabling strong growth from markets such as the Middle East, Europe, and beyond. We are confident that this collaboration will continue to play a vital role in our tourism development.”

To celebrate Mauritius’ 57th Independence Day, Emirates operated an A380 flight with an all-Mauritian crew, symbolising the opportunities its people have embraced on the global stage and the importance of the nation to the airline’s network and operations.  The airline currently provides two direct daily flights to Mauritius, both operated by its flagship A380 aircraft.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Mauritius, formalising a mutual collaboration agreement which was first established in 2003 following the launch of Emirates’ services to the island nation, and later renewed in 2013 with an enhanced codeshare agreement on expanded routes.

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said: “Our strategic, long-standing partnership with Air Mauritius continues to provide customers of both airlines with travel benefits such as seamless connections on select routes, ability to conveniently using a single ticket for the entire journey, as well as opportunities to earn and redeem rewards on both frequent flyer programmes.

“Now in its 23rd year, our partnership with the national carrier has allowed us to continuously provide value to the island nation, through our passenger operations, cargo handling capabilities and more, with tangible contributions that have helped build a strong and sustainable tourism economy. We would like to thank the authorities and stakeholders for their unwavering support in making our operations possible. We are proud of the achievements made so far and we look forward to giving back more to this important destination, which we have connected to more than 128 points in our in our global network.”

Kremchand (Kishore) Beegoo, Chairman, Air Mauritius said: “The renewal of our longstanding partnership with Emirates marks an important milestone for Air Mauritius. Emirates is one of our key strategic partners, and this enhanced agreement further deepens the strong relationship between our two airlines.

"It brings concrete benefits through reciprocal codesharing on select routes beyond our respective gateways, as well as cooperation in frequent flyer programmes and cargo services. This reinforced partnership strengthens the complementarity between our airlines, enabling us to better serve our passengers, fulfill our mission: to serve the Mauritian tourism industry, and to offer Mauritians broader access to an extensive global network.”

The strategic cooperation allows Air Mauritius to place its code on Emirates-operated flights to Cairo, Colombo, Karachi, Dammam, Jeddah, and Riyadh while Emirates placing its code on Air Mauritius’ services on the Mauritius – Antananarivo route. Under the partnership, Air Mauritius can sell seats to points on Emirates’ entire network on an interline basis.

In addition, since Emirates commenced operations to Mauritius and partnered with its national carrier, Emirates has consistently added value by promoting Mauritius on the global stage, while supporting and complementing the operations of Air Mauritius.

Emirates launched its scheduled services to Mauritius in 2002 and has carried a total of over 8.8 million passengers and more than 126 thousand tonnes of cargo on flights to and from Mauritius. Its passenger and cargo operations have generated significant economic and social contributions, delivered unmatched connectivity, fostered high-value tourism, and created tangible benefits to the country at large.

The strong partnership has generated a total of USD900 million worth of annual benefits to Mauritius, including USD119 million in direct contribution from Emirates’ 14 weekly passenger flights, USD264 million in tourism receipts as well as USD530 million to the Mauritian economy through tourism-related spending. Uplifting the economy and directly and indirectly providing employment opportunities through its operations, Emirates has supported the creation of 3,600 jobs in the nation.

Emirates currently has commercial cooperation agreements in place with 164 interline, codeshare and intermodal partners expanding its network reach to nearly 1,800 cities.

The airline operates 14 flights per week between Dubai and Mauritius, all operated by the airline’s flagship A380 aircraft. Besides being the only airline offering services on the double-decker aircraft to the island, Emirates is also the only airline providing seats in First Class cabins. 

Emirates and the Ministry of Tourism and Handicraft in Madagascar’s new strategic partnership underscores the airline’s commitment to promoting tourism to one of its newest destinations which began in September 2024. In collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Handicraft, Emirates will promote Madagascar in key markets across its global network through joint advertising campaigns and drive inbound visitor traffic by activating its range of tour operators and travel agencies.

Emirates and Ministry of Tourism and Handicraft will also jointly conduct familiarisation trips to the destination to showcase its tourist appeal to audiences in key markets globally, while also supporting the development of business and trade opportunities in Madagascar, via its cargo-handling capabilities. So far, Emirates has supported Madagascar’s tourism agenda by promoting it as a top leisure destination to its global network of tour operators. Its efforts have included planning familiarisation trips for its top travel agencies from major feeder markets to visit the island.

Emirates and Vietnam-based, multi-sector conglomerate Sun Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen inbound tourism to Vietnam and drive passenger traffic growth through collaborative efforts.

As part of the agreement, Emirates and the Sun Group will coordinate on joint marketing and promotional campaigns to spotlight Vietnam as a premier travel destination across the airline’s global network. The two entities will also explore opportunities to organize familiarisation trips for media and travel agents from key markets, while supporting tour operators in these markets with promotional incentives and giveaways.

Emirates currently serves Vietnam with 21 weekly flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City operated by a Boeing 777. The airline recently announced it will add Da Nang to its Vietnamese network from 2 June 2025.

Emirates has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Greek Ministry of Tourism, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to promoting Greece as a year-round tourist hotspot across its global network.

The partnership will focus on driving inbound tourism to Greece from key strategic markets in Emirates’ global network through joint marketing campaigns and promotional initiatives. The MoU will also support Greece’s broader tourism vision for 2025, with a particular focus on expanding seasonal appeal and spotlighting lesser-known regions.

Emirates and Fjord Norway, the official tourist board of Western Norway, will work closely to boost inbound tourism to the region. The agreement underscores the airline’s commitment to playing a vital role with supporting the growth of tourism in Norway through the provision of connectivity to its global network and world-class travel experiences.

Under the agreement, Emirates and Fjord Norway will explore joint marketing opportunities and organise familiarisation trips for media and travel agents. The two partners will also support other promotional campaigns to inspire tourism to Norway’s stunning fjord region, offering visitors unforgettable experiences.

Norway welcomed 5.6 million tourists in 2024, and the number of visitors is expected grow. Emirates’ daily flight operations and enhanced connectivity will continue to boost inbound tourism to the country, especially by bringing in high-spending tourists from the GCC.

DUBAI, UAE, 1 May 2025 – Emirates and MSC Cruises have extended their long-term strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the air-sea traveller experience, supporting Dubai’s cruise ambitions to become a major cruise hub, and exploring future opportunities for joint growth across the airline’s extensive network.

Announced at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, the partnership builds on a decade long year relationship and will leverage the strengths of the airline and MSC Cruises to enhance the guest experience and support the growth of Dubai’s cruise tourism eco-system. 

The partnership MoU was signed at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) by Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President for Passenger Sales and Country Management and Eudes-Philippe Le Guelinel, Head of Fly & Cruise for MSC Cruises.

Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President for Passenger Sales and Country Management, said: “Our cornerstone partnership with MSC Cruises stands as a testament of how two brands can work together to support Dubai’s cruise tourism ecosystem while enhancing the customer experience. The cruise traveller segment is experiencing robust growth, and we will work closely with MSC Cruises on co-marketing initiatives to communicate the diversity of destinations in our network combined with an attractive air-sea proposition. 

Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, said, “Our partnership with Emirates is founded on a shared dedication to offering guests unforgettable experiences and high-quality service, with both Emirates and MSC Cruises recognised as leaders in their fields. We are pleased to be extending this successful partnership and continuing to offer Emirates’ world-renowned flight service alongside the memorable experience waiting for guests on board our ship through our Fly & Cruise packages.”

Benefits of a Fly&Cruise packages include being met at arrivals with a dedicated bus transfer to the ship. On return, guests can drop their bags in the cruise terminal and collect them directly once they arrive at their destination.

The partnership between Emirates and MSC Cruises will focus on collaboration across the cruise line’s fleet of ships, as well as its luxury cruise line, Explora Journeys, to offer a sophisticated, differentiated and upscale experience for discerning travellers. Emirates and MSC Cruises will also explore growth strategies that will help expand cruise traffic movements beyond Dubai.

The airline and MSC Cruises will explore joint promotional strategies and marketing campaigns that drive awareness and consideration in key markets to boost Dubai’s appeal as a cruise destination and drive interest and bookings for Explora Journeys as well as close coordination of flight and cruise schedules to optimise passenger itineraries and reduce transit times. Emirates will also identify initiatives across its network to support MSC Cruises deployments beyond the UAE. 

Both travel brands will seek to share relevant operational data and insights to improve service delivery, explore cruise blocks inventory allocation, in addition to coordination on flight and cruise schedules and facilitating a smooth check-in process at Port Rashid Cruise Terminal.

The 16 dedicated Emirates check-in counters at Port Rashid enable disembarking cruise passengers to process their luggage and secure boarding passes up to four hours prior to departure, allowing them to bypass the usual formalities at the airport and proceed directly to their departure gates.

Together, Emirates and American Express Middle East will explore ways to reach and engage with Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) through differentiated offers and value driven initiatives.  This may include payments solutions tailored to SMEs, the extension of potential incentives provided by Emirates to American Express Middle East Card Members participating in the Emirates Business Rewards program, among other benefits.

Mazin Khoury, Chief Executive Officer at AEME, noted: “SMEs are the pulse of the economy across the region and at American Express Middle East we are deeply committed to their success. Through this MOU, we aim to expand our collaboration with Emirates to create meaningful value for small businesses.”

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President & Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates, added: “Emirates recognises the pivotal role SMEs play in driving innovation, creating jobs, and fostering economic growth, and we’re committed to providing them with flexible solutions and a unique value proposition for their travel needs. The MOU between Emirates and American Express Middle East brings together two strong brands committed to delivering support to SMEs, empowering them to scale up and thrive in today’s economy. We look forward to a successful collaboration.”

About American Express Middle East

American Express began operations in the MENA region in 1959 and set up its first office in Bahrain in 1977. In 1992, AEME was established in Bahrain as a joint venture company owned by American Express and Mawarid Investment Limited. Today, AEME provides consumer card, corporate and merchant payment solutions across MENA, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business.  

Learn more at www.americanexpress.com.bh, download Amex MENA app or connect with us on www.facebook.com/AmericanExpressME, www.instagram.com/amexmena and www.linkedin.com/company/AmericanExpressME

International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)

Emirates and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the global hub for the international association meetings industry, have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration and drive the growth of global business events.

This partnership will foster greater synergies between air travel and international meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE). Through this agreement, both organizations aim to facilitate more seamless connectivity for association meetings, support destination development strategies, and empower the global events ecosystem through knowledge exchange and capacity building.

The MoU is also aligned with Dubai’s strategic ambitions to assert its position as a world-leading destination for international conferences and reinforces ICCA’s ongoing efforts to engage with key industry leaders in shaping the future of business events. Every year, the city hosts hundreds of major events and conferences, welcoming millions of visitors, and the MICE sector is instrumental in supporting the emirate's D33 economic agenda. 

IDP Education  

Emirates has signed an MoU with IDP Education to establish a strategic partnership that will enhance the travel experience for students and educators, support their educational mobility, while strengthening the airline’s reach across key education centres across its network.

IDP Education is a global leader in international education services, helping students achieve their study abroad goals through a network of over 210 student placement offices across 35 countries. With more than 55 years of experience, IDP has supported hundreds of thousands of students in pursuing their education in top global destinations, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Both organisations will align efforts to boost student accessibility to global study destinations by offering a special fare programme designed for students aged 16 to 31, additional baggage allowance, flexible booking options, with more value-added benefits planned in the next phase of partnership. The partnership will commence for IDP students in the Middle East and North Africa, and plans are in place to scale offers and joint initiatives across key outbound education markets in the airline’s network. Students can access Emirates’ special discounts via IDP.com website.

The airline will also explore logistical support for IDP’s regional and global events, including conferences, fairs, and assessment activities and will leverage insights to understand travel trends to further adapt the student programme. 

Huawei

Emirates and Huawei have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reinforcing their long-standing partnership focused on digital innovation initiatives that drive visibility for both brands across key global markets.

The agreement outlines a broad framework for collaboration between Emirates and Huawei that includes joint campaigns, enhanced media presence, co-branded content, and integrated customer engagement strategies, particularly focused on the Middle East, North Africa and mainland China.

Under the expanded agreement, Emirates will become among the first airline brands to adopt and launch new Huawei services, including the global release of the HarmonyOS NEXT watch app. Both Emirates and Huawei will further work closely to continuously develop the Emirates App on Huawei’s AppGallery platform, ensuring consistency of quality and user experience.

The tech powerhouse will aim to drive increased awareness of the Emirates–Huawei partnership across mainland China and the Middle East and North Africa via integrated communications including press events, social media platforms, and media outreach. Huawei will also extend its support to Emirates’ upcoming Shenzhen route launch in July through coordinated promotional efforts.

Emirates and Huawei first established a strategic partnership in early 2020, a move that expanded the user base of the Emirates App by making it available on the AppGallery of Huawei’s smart devices.

Partnership with CLIA enhances cruise sector engagement and drives strategic growth in key markets

Dubai, UAE, 30 April 2025: Emirates has strengthened its strategic partnership with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) through the extension of its prestigious Diamond Elite executive partnership. With CLIA representing more than 90% of the global ocean cruise fleet, including more than 55 cruise lines, this partnership offers Emirates the opportunity to deepen its engagement with key cruise industry leaders and enhance its visibility in key cruise markets. The collaboration also aligns with the airline’s vision to enhance Dubai’s status as a premier global cruise hub while capitalizing on the sector's robust growth trajectory.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “The extension of our Diamond Elite Partnership with CLIA comes at the right time for Emirates. The cruise industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience, with robust demand spanning diverse traveller segments, and a healthy performance outlook.  We will strategically tap into the growth opportunity that the industry presents, especially across CLIA’s expansive business community of executive partners, travel trade members and advisors to boost cruise passenger arrivals through our superior network and premium product proposition.

He added: “Our CLIA executive partnership also reinforces Dubai's emergence as one of the world’s best cruise destinations. Through collaborative efforts with our partners, Dubai today benefits from an integrated air-land-sea proposition, anchored by world-class maritime infrastructure, iconic tourist attractions, and exceptional air connectivity, and we remain committed to grow its appeal to an expanding base of cruise travellers.”

“Emirates is a valued partner to the cruise industry, and their ongoing engagement as a CLIA executive partner demonstrates a strong commitment to furthering industry relationships and supporting CLIA’s important advocacy work on behalf of our members,” said Karyn Gruenberg, CLIA’s Managing Director of Enterprise Development and Senior Vice President of Membership. “In 2025, 37.1 million passengers are forecast to sail globally, with Dubai growing as a cruise destination and homeport. Through their CLIA executive partnership, Emirates is well-poised to continue collaborating with cruise decision-makers to support this emerging market.”

As a CLIA Diamond Elite Executive Partner, Emirates will have privileged access to cruise industry leadership through exclusive events, while securing premier sponsorship opportunities at key industry gatherings. The elevated partnership will also enhance Emirates’ visibility in key cruise markets, and provides access to vital industry research and insights, including passenger demographics and emerging trends. The airline will also be able to promote its fly-cruise packages and crew movement solutions, complemented by brand positioning across CLIA's digital platforms.

Last year, Emirates transported nearly 187,000 cruise passengers to Dubai. Dubai stands as the Middle East's largest port of embarkation and the city’s dual ports welcomed four ships in 2024. Both Port Rashid and Dubai Harbour offer an array of passenger amenities, including expedited customs clearance, streamlined visa processing, and extensive duty-free retail options. Visitors benefit from Emirates’ 16 remote check-in facilities at Port Rashid as well as convenient city access through complimentary shuttle services. The Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal at Port Rashid —the world's largest single covered cruise facility— is capable of processing 14,000 passengers daily.

About Emirates

Emirates is the world’s largest international airline, connecting travellers to more than 140 cities. Emirates operates the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A380s, and now flies the Airbus A350, offering spacious cabins and iconic inflight features across its fleet. With a culturally diverse workforce, Emirates caters to its global customer base by delivering exceptional services and world-class products and has earned customer recognition for its industry-leading services on the ground and in the sky.

About the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)  

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the preeminent cruise trade association, providing a unified voice for the industry and its members as the leading authority of the global cruise community. CLIA represents oceangoing member lines which comprise more than 90% of global cruise passenger capacity, including the world’s most prestigious ocean, river, and specialty cruise lines, as well as a business community of leading ports, destinations, shipyards and maritime product and service providers, and the largest network of travel professionals who specialise in cruise travel. Together with its members and partners, CLIA supports policies and practices that foster safe, secure, healthy and sustainable cruise operations; tourism strategies that maximise the socioeconomic benefits of cruise travel; and technologies and innovations designed to support the industry’s pursuit of net zero emissions by 2050. The organization's global headquarters are in Washington, DC, with regional offices located in North and South America, Europe, and Australasia.  

For more information, please visit cruising.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube with our handle @CLIAGlobal—or on LinkedIn.  

Emirates and Tourism Malaysia have renewed their partnership, reaffirming the airline’s longstanding commitment to the Southeast Asian gateway. Emirates will seek to promote Malaysia across key markets in its global network, exploring opportunities for joint marketing promotions and advertising initiatives to position Malaysia as a premier tourist destination – highlighting its natural landscapes, cultural heritage and unique culinary experiences. Emirates will also explore organising familiarisation trips to Malaysia for key media representatives and travel agents from strategic markets across its global network.

Emirates and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) have renewed their three-year strong partnership, aimed at further developing the country’s tourism and trade industries. Through joint initiatives, such as developing excursions and familiarization trips to promote the island nation to key feeder markets, Emirates and SLTPB aim to grow the tourism industry of the popular Indian Ocean destination by showcasing the destination to customers across the airline’s global network. 

The joint efforts to boost the nation’s tourist industry have supported a steady increase in inbound traffic into the island, which recorded just over 2 million visitors in 2024. Between April 2024 and March 2025, Emirates carried over 240,000 passengers into Sri Lanka from key markets around its network including Rusia, the UK, Germany, Australia, China, and the US, among others.

Emirates and the Moroccan National Tourist Office will explore ways to promote inbound tourism to Morocco from key destinations on the airline’s vast global network. The agreement directly supports Morocco’s strategic roadmap to double the size of the tourism sector and ultimately make it one of the top 20 destinations for visitors in the world. The partners will explore programmes for trade partners and tour operators to further educate and incentivise the travel industry, in addition to familiarisation trips and other marketing initiatives to increase visibility of the destination within Emirates’ network.

Morocco has ambitious targets to develop tourism, aiming to attract 17.5 million visitors annually by 2026 and create 200,000 new jobs in the sector. 2024 marked a record-breaking year, with 17.4 million tourists visiting the kingdom. The partnership inked at Arabian Travel Market directly support this vision, leveraging Emirates’ frictionless travel options and vast global network to further promote the destination in key target markets.

Emirates and Tourism Seychelles have renewed their longstanding commitment to support the travel and tourism industry of the country. Building on a partnership established in 2013, the MoU aims to increase inbound tourist traffic to Seychelles, with a focus on key feeder markets within the airline’s extensive network. Emirates has been a major contributor to Seychelles’ tourism successes over the years, with the island welcoming more than 350,000 tourist arrivals in 2024. Joint initiatives that have contributed to healthy visitor numbers include marketing campaigns targeted at European markets like Austria.

Emirates and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas will partner on joint promotional campaigns in key markets to boost tourist arrivals into The Bahamas, by showcasing the destination’s appeal to visitors and holidaymakers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will support Emirates’ efforts by providing tour operators and travel agents in key target markets with promotional giveaways, special packages, incentives and marketing spend. 

Emirates and the Warsaw Tourism Organization will work together for the first time to develop inbound passenger traffic from key markets in the airline’s global network to the city. Both entities will explore developing joint advertising campaigns and organizing familiarization trips for media representatives and travel agents to Warsaw. These initiatives aim to boost awareness of Warsaw’s cultural richness and strengthen its positioning as a key gateway in Central Europe.

Emirates and the Nigerian Ministry of Art Culture Tourism and the Creative Economy will work closely to boost international visitors to Nigeria. The partnership underscores the airline’s commitment to the market through attracting visitors from across its global network of more than 140 passenger destinations, as Nigeria’s tourism roadmap aims to make the country a major holiday destination in Africa, driven by significant investments in infrastructure, tourist facilities, and enhanced air connectivity to and from the country. The partnership between Emirates and the Ministry — to be driven by its agency for tourism promotion, the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) — supports this exciting new chapter and is further bolstered by the recently signed interline agreement between Emirates and Air Peace, which expands Emirates’ reach to 13 additional cities across Nigeria.  Both partners will develop programmes for trade partners, hoteliers and tour operators, as well as exploring incentives, familiarisation trips and other marketing initiatives. 

Emirates and Condor

Emirates and Condor have officially activated their reciprocal codeshare partnership ahead of the 2025 summer travel season. The agreement expands travel options for customers of both airlines, providing convenient booking options and greater access to some of the most sought-after destinations across the globe.

Emirates’ customers can enjoy seamless access to 11 new destinations across Europe and the Caribbean Islands served by Condor via Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Hamburg. These include popular summer gateways such as Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Cancun, Montego Bay and others.

Condor customers will also benefit from enhanced connectivity to 13 destinations served by Emirates via the airline’s Dubai hub. These include attractive holiday spots such as  Bali, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangkok, Phuket, Hanoi and Cape Town.

Flights are available for booking now on www.emirates.com, www.condor.com, through online travel agencies (OTAs), major GDS platforms and Emirates’ retail stores worldwide, for travel from 10 May.  Members of Emirates Skywards can also earn and burn on both airlines, if booked on codeshare flights.

Emirates and Air Seychelles

Emirates and Air Seychelles have established a new codeshare partnership that will offer seamless connections for Emirates customers connecting on Air Seychelles-operated flights from Mahe to Praslin Island.

Emirates will place its code on flights between Mahe and Praslin Island operated by Air Seychelles. Emirates customers will enjoy the convenience of island-to-island connectivity, hassle-free booking of itineraries on a single ticket while benefiting from competitive fares, and a single baggage policy checked through to Praslin Island.

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said: “Our codeshare partnership with Air Seychelles will provide customers with seamless connections to Praslin Island, and complements our existing services between Dubai and Mahe, enabling Emirates to expand our reach and allow our customers to fly to one of the most popular points in the Seychelles. We look forward to developing the relationship further and introducing more added-value benefits.”

Sandy Benoiton, Chief Executive Officer, Air Seychelles said: "We are thrilled to partner with Emirates to enhance connectivity between Mahe and Praslin Island. This codeshare agreement not only simplifies travel for our customers but also showcases our commitment to making the Seychelles more accessible to travellers from around the world. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to our beautiful islands and working closely with Emirates to ensure an exceptional travel experience."

The airline operates 14 flights per week between Dubai and Mahe, with most travellers venturing from France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom for their holidays in the Seychelles.

Emirates currently has commercial cooperation agreements in place with 164 interline, codeshare and intermodal partners expanding its network reach to nearly 1,800 cities. Over the last 12 months, Emirates launched 11 new partnerships.

* Subject to government approvals

The agreement was formalised at ITB Berlin by Nabil Sultan, Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales & Country Management for Emirates and CT Ooi, VP of Flights Business, Trip.com Group. 

In the next phase of its expansion, the partnership will focus on exploring growth avenues to capture emerging opportunities in new markets and customer segments. Emirates and Trip.com will collaborate on expanding Trip.com’s global presence through strategic partnerships and activations, leveraging Emirates' extensive international network, and coordinating promotional efforts in Asian and European markets, which remain a strategic focus for both Trip.com and Emirates.

Nabil Sultan commented on the newly expanded partnership: “We very much look forward to extending the breadth and depth of our cooperation with Trip.com. The next phase not only strengthens our position to provide more of our products to Trip.com’s customer base, but also unlocks traveller demand for air and hotel packages, enables us to integrate offers across both of our loyalty programmes and tap into a variety of consumer segments with specialised promotions. We look forward to empowering Trip.com customers with options to customise their travel with ease on Emirates.”

CT Ooi added: “At Trip.com, we are excited to take our partnership to new heights, integrating a wide range of flight offerings with an expanded portfolio of hotels and travel services. By combining Emirates’ world-class network with Trip.com's innovative travel ecosystem, we are creating more opportunities for travellers to access exclusive flight and hotel packages, tailored promotions, and enhanced loyalty rewards.”

Product integration and exclusive promotions: Emirates and Trip.com will work closely on boosting customer conversion by integrating a variety of Emirates flight offerings with Trip.com’s growing hotel and travel services portfolio. The airline and travel services platform will also partner on exclusive promotions tailored to families and holiday seekers.

Joint campaigns and loyalty programmes: In addition to targeted promotional activities, Emirates and Trip.com will coordinate impactful campaigns to drive measurable growth in key global markets.  Both sides will also explore the incorporation of value-added services and customised offers for the Trip.com Rewards and Emirates Skywards programmes.

Focused initiatives for travel segments: The partnership will include cross-promotional opportunities targeting traveller segments like students, youth, and cruise customers. The airline will also tap into Trip.com’s premium customer base by offering its Chauffeur Drive service on the Trip.com platform.

Emirates first partnered with Trip.com in 2020 to expand its reach in China, and subsequently across Asia. The initial cooperation included joint marketing promotions and other marketing initiatives to boost Emirates’ sales via Trip.com’s online platforms with a view to expand its presence with a customised booking experience.

The expansion comes as the airline plans to further strengthen its presence across Asia with the launch of daily non-stop flights between Dubai and Shenzhen, China; four weekly services to Da Nang in Vietnam; and three weekly flights to Siem Reap, Cambodia. The airline has the largest network of any non-Asian carrier, flying to 24 points across East Asia.

The MoU was signed by Thierry Aucoc, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (West) Europe and Americas and Carlo Micallef, Chief Executive Officer, Malta Tourism Authority, during ITB Berlin, Germany’s premier travel trade exhibition. The signing ceremony was also attended by senior executives from both organizations.

Under this strategic alliance, Emirates will leverage its expansive global network to promote Malta as a premier leisure destination. Key initiatives will include organizing media familiarisation trips from key target markets to showcase Malta’s unique appeal as a Mediterranean gateway. The two entities will further explore joint advertising campaigns and collaborations with tour operators and travel agents to develop compelling promotional packages.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “Malta has been a key destination in our European network for over two decades, and we’ve witnessed its growing popularity as a sought-after leisure gateway over the years. This agreement reaffirms our commitment to supporting Malta’s tourism industry by leveraging our global reach to further boost inbound travel.

Our daily service, operated by a Boeing 777-300ER—the largest scheduled passenger aircraft serving the destination—ensures that travellers enjoy our award-winning products and services, while local businesses benefit from the significant cargo capacity we offer on the route.”

Malta's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Hon. Ian Borg said: “This agreement will continue strengthening the long-standing collaboration between Malta and Emirates, while helping us reach out to more travellers, as we spread the word about the Maltese Islands’ unique attractions and experiences. By joining forces with international airlines and other key industry players, we are maximising our resources to constantly optimise our product development and promotion efforts and meet the ever-changing requirements of our diverse markets across the world, towards a more sustainable future for tourism in Malta and Gozo.”

"This strategic partnership with Emirates represents a pivotal step in our mission to elevate Malta’s position as a premier destination for quality tourism. By harnessing Emirates’ extensive global reach and industry expertise, we aim to attract discerning travellers seeking authentic and high-value experiences. This collaboration aligns with our long-term vision for sustainable tourism growth, ensuring that Malta continues to thrive as a distinguished Mediterranean destination known for its rich heritage, natural beauty, and exceptional hospitality" commented the CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority Carlo Micallef.

About Emirates

Emirates has been serving Malta since 2003 and currently operates a daily flight using a Boeing 777-300ER. Travellers to and from Malta benefit from Emirates’ award-winning service and industry-leading products in the air and on the ground across all classes, with regionally-inspired dishes and complimentary beverages and the airline’s ice inflight entertainment system which offers more than 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment in over 40 languages.

To date, the airline has transported over 1.2 million passengers between Dubai and Malta. With more than 27,000 Emirates Skywards members registered in Malta, travellers continue to reap the rewards through the airline’s award-winning loyalty programme.  

About Malta Tourism Authority

The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) is dedicated to advancing Malta’s tourism industry by fostering sustainable growth and ensuring a high-quality experience for visitors and locals alike. Working closely with industry stakeholders, the MTA promotes the Maltese Islands as a year-round destination, attracting diverse travellers through strategic marketing and partnerships. With a strong focus on quality, authenticity, and collaboration, the MTA plays a key role in maintaining the island’s rich cultural heritage while driving economic and social benefits. From enhancing the tourism product to supporting industry professionals, the MTA remains committed to positioning Malta as a leading destination for generations to come.

This latest enhancement will empower millions of travellers to unlock a wider range of options and benefit from streamlined booking capabilities on Expedia Group’s brands when planning their journeys to any point on the airline's global network.

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said: "We are proud to expand our partnership with Expedia Group, allowing travellers on the platform to personalise their booking experience with Emirates. Looking ahead, our enhanced collaboration will provide travellers with seamless access to Emirates' NDC content while expanding booking possibilities across all elements of their journey."

Greg Schulze, Chief Commercial Officer, Expedia Group said: “Our expanded partnership with Emirates marks a significant step in elevating the travel experience. This collaboration gives our global travelers more customised options and easier bookings, allowing them to create unique trips that suit their needs. Ultimately, it’s about making every journey a lasting memory for our travelers.”

The full integration will enable Expedia Group to offer Emirates’ NDC fares, products and ancillary services including extra baggage and seat selection, along with other improved features and flexibility in their booking journeys.

In addition to customer personalisation, Emirates and Expedia Group will explore deeper collaboration on loyalty programmes to enhance travel rewards for both companies’ customers. They will leverage market data insights to drive business growth and inform joint marketing initiatives.

The partnership will also focus on creating end-to-end booking experiences by leveraging Expedia Group’s extensive global hotel inventory for full package solutions. The tailor-made air and hotel packages will allow travellers to complement their Emirates flights with stays at thousands of hotels available on Expedia Group’s brands. The work underway will enable the airline to connect with and capture the attention of travellers from around the world.

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About Emirates

Emirates is the world’s largest international airline, connecting travellers to more than 140 cities. Emirates operates the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A380s, and now flies the Airbus A350, offering spacious cabins and iconic inflight features across its fleet. With a culturally diverse workforce, Emirates caters to its global customer base by delivering exceptional services and world-class products and has earned customer recognition for its industry-leading services on the ground and in the sky.

About Expedia Group 
Expedia Group, Inc. brands power travel for everyone, everywhere through our global platform. Driven by the core belief that travel is a force for good, we help people experience the world in new ways and build lasting connections. We provide industry-leading technology solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while facilitating memorable experiences for travelers. Expedia Group’s three flagship consumer brands include: Expedia®, Hotels.com®, and Vrbo®. For more information, visit www.expediagroup.com. Follow us on X @expediagroup and check out our LinkedIn.

The partnership renewal was formalised during ITB Berlin by Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline and Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises and underscores Emirates' commitment to deliver integrated travel experiences that seamlessly connect air travel with maritime journeys.

Emirates will continue to work closely with TUI Cruises across several areas, including marketing initiatives, planning and operational strategies.  Emirates will strategically coordinate flight schedules with TUI Cruises' itineraries, ensuring optimal connectivity between air and sea segments for cruise customers. The airline and cruise company will also collaborate on dedicated capacity in the form of ‘cruise blocks’ to meet demand from key markets across the airline’s network where possible.

In addition, Emirates will work closely with its Dubai stakeholders on enhanced ground transportation solutions between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Port Rashid Cruise Terminal.

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President & Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said: "Emirates takes immense pride in our pivotal role elevating Dubai's status as a premier global cruise destination. This achievement reflects years of strategic investment in world-class maritime infrastructure, iconic attractions, unparalleled connectivity and streamlined ground handling operations for international cruise visitors. These elements have established Dubai as the gateway of choice for the most coveted cruise itineraries globally. Our renewed collaboration with TUI Cruises and its continued commitment to growing its presence in Dubai aims to further enhance cruise passenger arrivals in our home and hub, and across our network, enabling travellers to experience exceptional maritime journeys aboard TUI's magnificent vessels."

Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, said: "We are thrilled to renew our partnership with Emirates, a collaboration that perfectly aligns with our commitment to providing exceptional travel experiences. By seamlessly integrating air and sea journeys, we are able to offer our guests unparalleled convenience and connectivity. Dubai's strategic location and world-class infrastructure make it an ideal hub for our expanded operations. Besides, it is a popular destination for our guests, offering a unique blend of modern luxury and cultural heritage. We look forward to welcoming more guests aboard our vessels and delivering unforgettable cruise experiences together with Emirates." 

The airline will also identify avenues to extend the partnership's scope beyond Dubai, with a focus on Far East cruises. Tui Cruise’s Mein Schiff 6, with a capacity of over 2,500 passengers includes a 14-day itinerary, starting from Singapore, docking in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan, then back to Singapore.

Additionally, the partnership encompasses leveraging data-driven insights to elevate service delivery and deploying specialised support personnel for cruise passengers to facilitate a more streamlined check in process. The world-class Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal at Port Rashid, recognised as the largest single covered cruise facility globally, can support 14,000 daily cruise passengers.

Dubai's cruise sector growth stems from carefully coordinated collaboration from across the tourism and aviation ecosystem, which includes expedited customs and visa processes, duty free services, complimentary city shuttles, and Emirates' dedicated remote check-in facilities at Port Rashid. Emirates' 16 dedicated check-in counters help cruise passengers to process luggage and secure boarding passes up to four hours before departure, affording them the opportunity to explore Dubai unencumbered before making their way back to the airport.

For the upcoming season, TUI Cruises will deploy two vessels to Port Rashid, each accommodating over 2,500 passengers. Travelers can select from two distinct itinerary options featuring embarkation and disembarkation in Dubai with calls at Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar.

More than 23 children enjoyed a unique experience walking hand-in-hand with players to kick off the match between Olympique Lyonnais and OGC Nice on 1 December. From behind the scenes access to the stadium, meeting the players, and an exclusive opportunity to walk on the pitch in front of thousands of fans – the airline stayed true to its brand promise of making every experience simply, better.   

Emirates utilises its extensive sponsorship portfolio to support local communities, connect with fans worldwide, and create lasting memories. The airline has been a partner of Olympique Lyonnais since 2020, and every year, offers local organisations a chance to make children’s dreams come true.

The Center Léon Bérard is a hospital that is dedicated to offering excellent care and services in medical oncology and surgery. Hôpital Femme Mère Enfant is a dedicated facility that specialises in paediatric care. 

Emirates currently serves Lyon with a daily Boeing 777 flight.  The airline recently welcomed its highly anticipated A350 aircraft to its fleet, scheduled to serve Lyon starting from March 2025. French customers can connect to more than 140 destinations within the airline’s extensive network across the Far East, Middle East, Africa and Australasia, via Dubai.

For more information or to book tickets, visit emirates.com. Tickets can also be booked on Emirates App, Emirates Retail stores, Emirates contact centre, or via travel agents.

Emirates Public Relations

pr@emirates.com

Dubai, UAE – 12 November 2024:  His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group and NBA legend James Worthy met today at Emirates Group Headquarters to tip off the Emirates NBA Cup 2024, which starts today.

Worthy brought the NBA Cup to mark the occasion, as Emirates celebrates the arrival of the much-anticipated tournament.  During the visit, Worthy engaged with Emirates Group employees and signed autographs.

Later in the day, youth basketball players were treated to a basketball clinic at Zabeel Park led by Worthy as part of Dubai Fitness Challenge. Kids between the ages of 8 and 13 from Al Nasr Club participated in the clinic to improve their skills, learning tips and tricks first-hand from the basketball legend. 

James Worthy played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers, was a seven-time NBA All-Star, 1988 NBA Finals MVP and a member of three NBA championship teams (1985, ’87, ’88). He was named to the NBA’s 50^th and 75^th Anniversary Teams.

Emirates NBA Cup play tips off today, Tuesday, 12 November, with the New York Knicks visiting the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Golden State Warriors hosting the Dallas Mavericks at 10 p.m. ET.

The MoUs were signed on the sidelines of the Vietnam - UAE Business Forum, held at the Hilton Dubai Palm Jumeirah hotel in Dubai on 28 October. Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer attended the signing ceremony along with government leaders, ministers, and business representatives from both countries. Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Far East delivered a keynote highlighting the airline’s commitment to deepening its presence in Vietnam, a market it has been serving since 2012, supporting trade and tourism links between the UAE and Vietnam, as well as offering customers convenient travel options.

Adnan Kazim, commented: “Enhancing our cooperation with like-minded partners like Vietnam Airlines and VietJet is integral to our core commercial strategy to better connect customers across points beyond our own network. Vietnam is a market that presents tremendous opportunities to boost tourism and trade as a key hub in Southeast Asia, and Emirates supports the UAE government’s ongoing efforts to elevate its existing economic ties with Vietnam. Our decades-long cooperation with Vietnam Airlines has enabled us to enhance connectivity between Vietnam and Dubai, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to explore further elevating this partnership while also establishing a new strategic cooperation with VietJet. We look forward to growing our footprint in Vietnam and exploring more opportunities to widen the scope of our partnerships in the future.”

Emirates and Vietnam Airlines MoU

The MoU sets the framework to expand the current cooperation in place between both airlines. This includes enhancing connectivity on routes beyond the existing interline as well as the potential to add reciprocal loyalty benefits. The airlines will also enter exploratory discussions around potential collaborations across cargo and technical services to create seamless experiences for travellers. The long-standing relationship between Emirates and Vietnam Airlines, which began with a bilateral interline cooperation in 1994, has helped connect customers to 22 domestic and 15 regional points in Vietnam Airline’s network, as well as 12 points in Emirates’ global network.

Nguyen Chien Thang, Vietnam Airlines’ Executive Vice President, said: “This MoU with Emirates is a significant milestone for Vietnam Airlines. The cooperation allows us to unleash the combined power of our networks as Vietnam Airlines seeks to leverage our international presence and provide our passengers with enhanced flexibility and convenience. We are excited about the possibilities this partnership brings in strengthening the ties between the two airlines as well as the two countries, allowing our passengers to explore the most sought-after tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, the UAE and beyond.”

Emirates and VietJet MoU 

Through Emirates’ MoU with VietJet, both airlines will explore joint initiatives to help promote visitor traffic between the UAE and Vietnam, and strengthen the commercial cooperation between both carriers. The MoU will further aim to enhance connectivity to popular destinations in VietJet’s domestic and regional network via Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, among others, while offering VietJet customers increased access to Emirates’ global network via its Dubai hub on a single itinerary and one baggage policy.

Vietjet Chief Executive Officer Dinh Viet Phuong expressed his enthusiasm for the MoU: “Vietjet placed its aircraft order in Dubai in 2015, and we have previously operated in the UAE through wet leasing. Today’s partnership with Emirates marks the beginning of an official connection with the largest airline in the region. Through this collaboration, Vietjet passengers will enjoy cost-effective, seamless journeys to international destinations worldwide, complemented by Emirates’ top-tier service. This agreement expands Vietjet’s global presence, attracts more visitors to Vietnam, fosters sustainable growth, and enhances cultural exchange. We believe this collaboration will have a positive, lasting impact on both nations and the international aviation industry.”

With its rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and rapidly growing economy, Vietnam is increasingly attracting travelers and businesses from around the world. The establishment of deeper ties with local air carriers reflects the broader efforts of both governments to foster greater tourism and business links between the two nations.

The UAE and Vietnam have also signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), the first free-trade agreement Vietnam has established with a Middle East country, aiming to boost trade and investment. According to the UAE Ministry of Economy, in the first half of 2024, bilateral trade between the two countries surpassed $3.2 billion, a 43 per cent increase on-year.

Emirates currently operates daily services to both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, utilising its Boeing 777 and offering travellers seamless access between Vietnam and popular destinations across Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. The airline will further add a second daily flight to Ho Chi Minh City starting from 15 January 2025, catering to the growing demand for travel ahead of the Lunar New Year festival.

About Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines, a member of Skyteam Alliance, is the flag carrier of Vietnam, connecting the world’s most thriving destinations with nearly 100 routes to 22 domestic and 31 international destinations in 18 countries. The carrier is recognized as one of the region’s leading airlines thanks to its modern fleet and its commitment towards innovation, digitalization and development — earning it international acclaim as validated by numerous prestigious awards including Top 20 World’s Best Airline by Airline Ratings (2023), Global 5 Star Airline by APEX (2023); Skytrax’s 4 Star Airline for four consecutive years; numerous awards by the World Travel Awards.

About Vietjet

The new-age carrier Vietjet has not only revolutionized the aviation industry in Vietnam but also been a pioneering airline across the region and around the world. With a focus on cost management ability, effective operations, and performance, applying the latest technology to all activities and leading the trend, Vietjet offers flying opportunities with cost-saving and flexible fares as well as diversified services to meet customers’ demands.

Dubai, UAE – 16 October 2024: At this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Emirates is helping set players up for success with its support for the 100% Cricket Future Leaders Programme which aims to provide more world-class development opportunities to aspiring female leaders in the sport.

The 100% Cricket Campaign is dedicated to the promotion of women’s cricket, ever since its launch at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020, with the purpose of changing perceptions, creating heroes and excitement, and supporting women in cricket.   

To support the Future Leaders Programme’s mission, this year, Emirates will provide exclusive fares and discounts to the current cohort taking part in the 10-month programme, enabling connections to unique learning opportunities outside of their home countries, in addition to linking them to mentors to help build the next generation of female leaders within cricket.

This year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, already in its knockout stages, is taking place in the airline’s homebase of the UAE, with matches being played in Dubai and Sharjah. The World Cup has so far delivered electrifying performances as the remaining four teams will battle it out for the highly coveted trophy. The first semi-final will be played between Australia and South Africa on Thursday, 17 October, while New Zealand and West Indies go head-to-head in the second semi-final on Friday, 18 October, with the final scheduled on Sunday, 20 October.

The airline is also engaging with fans throughout the tournament with Cabin Crew roaming around at matches taking keepsake Polaroids and handing out specially designed frames, in addition to other exciting onsite activations.

Emirates reaffirmed its commitment to cricket by extending its global partnership with the ICC earlier this year, which will see the airline support 28 ICC men’s and women’s events until 2031, including the Cricket World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy.

Already in its third decade, Emirates’ partnership with the ICC is one of the most established in world sport. The ICC partnership sees Emirates featured on the official kit of the ICC Elite and International Panels of Umpires. Alongside the Umpires, Emirates sponsors the Elite and International Panels of ICC Match Referees.

Together with branding and media exposure to cricket fans around the world, Emirates also transports umpires and referees to international events as the Global Partner of the ICC.  Emirates’ branding is also highly visible at all major events including the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and the ICC World Test Championship Final.

For a glimpse into the hard work and dedication of a cricketer and an Emirates pilot, watch the video here

Adel Al Redha, Deputy President and Chief Operations Officer, Emirates Airline said: “We have an incredible line up of over 30 speakers and experts from across aviation and aerospace, airfreight and logistics, Maintenance, Overhaul & Repair (MRO); heavy hitters from different corners of the tech industry as well as academics, reflecting the broad range of topics that Aviation Future Week will cover. Participants can look forward to an agenda that promises to deliver insightful discussions, informative panel sessions and interactive workshops, delving deep into topics that are top of mind for the future of our industry." 

His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Future Foundation, said: “Aviation Future Week serves as a pivotal platform to highlight the latest advancements and opportunities within the aviation sector.

His Excellency added: “Both Emirates and the Museum of the Future seek to host global discussions that shape the future of this critical industry. Moreover, this event aims to support the integration of advanced technologies in enhancing service efficiency and craft growth strategies for the aviation sector in both the short and the long term.”

Day 1

Aviation Future Week’s first day spotlights the passenger journey and addresses operational challenges amidst a backdrop of strong global demand. His Excellency Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy will headline the opening, followed by a keynote by His Excellency Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade. Abdel Wahab Teffaha, Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) Secretary General will then touch on balancing traffic demand with innovative passenger solutions and elevated on ground experiences.

The first panel will focus on optimising traffic demand in an environment of saturated airports and constrained supply chains. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai; Adel Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer Air Arabia and Wouter Van Wersch, Executive Vice President of Airbus International will kickstart the dialogue around their long-term vision for air traffic capacity.

Werner Vogels, Amazon’s Chief Technology Officer, will participate in a fireside chat to discuss the company’s approach to automation, biometrics and real-time data, aimed at creating seamless passenger journeys.

Airport leaders including HE Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman Dubai Aviation City Corporation; Ayman AboAbah, CEO Riyadh Airports; Server Aydın, Chief Digital Services and Commercial Officer at iGA Istanbul Airport; Omar Binadai, Chief Technology and Infrastructure Officer at Dubai International and  Nicolas Vandable, Head of Airline Relations, Projects & Development, Director Smart Airport Programmes at Paris-CDG Airport will tackle the topic of airport infrastructure modernisation and the next wave of future technologies promising a frictionless on ground experience.  

Participants will hear about the future of aircraft cabins and onboard connectivity and communications from CEOs at Recaro, Thales, Panasonic Avionics and Viasat.

Day 2

The second day of Aviation Future Week will delve into airfreight and logistics and MRO developments in the region. The day will begin with a fireside chat featuring His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, who will shed light on Dubai Future Foundation’s key role in driving the future of aviation and logistics in Dubai. This will be followed by a focus on the dynamic global landscape of freight and logistics and factors impacting demand, as well as digitisation, to be discussed with Nadeem Sultan, Senior Vice President Cargo Planning & Freighters at Emirates; Ram Menen, founding team member at Emirates SkyCargo and Hamdi Osman, Founder and CEO of SolitAir Cargo Airline.

Confirmed speakers from Rolls Royce, GE Aerospace, Safran Cabin, Jamco and Joramco will also unpack efforts underway around sharpening the precision and effectiveness of MRO in the region through next generation technologies.

Day 3

The third and final day will navigate the nascent potential of Web3, AI and XR to drive workflow efficiencies and optimise service delivery for the industry. 

The first panel will explore customer feedback strategies using automation and utilising insights to make data-informed decisions with the aim of enhancing service levels. Senior executives leading digital and innovation teams at Avis Budget Group, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Airways and Vision-Box will share how they are scaling up their customer experience strategies. 

The final panel includes academics at Manchester Metropolitan University, as well as Microsoft Solutions, Whoop and Emirates’ HR leadership who will share their experiences and outline potential use-cases around combining the power of XR and Gen AI to streamline aviation workflows.

Spaces are limited to attend panel sessions. For more information about Aviation Future Week, including registration details, please visit:  https://aviationfutureweek.ae/.

Dubai, UAE, 17 September 2024: Emirates and the Museum of the Future will host the first Aviation Future Week, taking place from 15-17 October 2024 in Dubai.

UAE ministers, senior government officials, industry leaders from across the aviation and aerospace, airfreight, Maintenance, Overhaul & Repair (MRO) and logistics ecosystem, will converge in Dubai for the inaugural event.  The event presents a platform for unparalleled insights and discussion opportunities around the passenger journey and future traffic demand, airfreight and logistics, as well as the latest developments in AI and XR.   

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said: “It is fitting that Dubai is setting the stage for visionary global leaders and decision makers in aviation and aerospace to gather for key discussions and powerful collaborations to help redefine what the future could look like for the industry at Aviation Future Week. Dubai’s strategic commitment to leveraging technology and innovation and embracing the digital revolution is fertile ground to pioneer new approaches and push the boundaries of what is possible for more efficient and sustainable operations, and reshaping the passenger journey and experience as the industry forges ahead.”

Aviation Future Week will include key notes, panels and workshops over three days. The first day includes a packed programme led by speakers and industry experts who will address air travel demand and airport infrastructure and how airports, airlines, aerospace manufacturers and other stakeholders can deliver an enhanced passenger experience using technology.

The second day will be dedicated to developments within airfreight and logistics, while the second half of the day with focus on MRO development within the region. The third and final day will navigate the boundary-breaking potential of Web3, AI and XR infused solutions to drive workflow efficiencies and service delivery.  Sessions will also tackle strategies required to rethink existing processes through AI, and the collaboration necessary to upskill the aviation workforce today to embrace, adopt and leverage these technologies.

In addition to the main programme track, Aviation Future Week will also feature a rich exhibition platform showcasing the latest in aviation technologies.  Visitors can learn about new products and concepts, and network with industry representatives. A series of interactive workshops will be spearheaded by Emirates and Museum of The Future, supported by Emirates CX teams, dnata, Emirates SkyCargo, Flight Operations, Emirates and dnata environment teams, Boeing and the Emirates Group Youth Council.

DUBAI, UAE 30 August 2024: In the past year, Emirates has doubled the number of cities it offers beyond its own network, unlocking travel opportunities to nearly 1,700 additional cities. This has enabled an average of over 61,000 passengers to seamlessly connect on the shared networks of Emirates and its partners every week.

By forging new partnerships and deepening existing ones across the transport ecosystem, the airline is delivering an array of additional travel choices alongside 31 codeshare, 118 interline and 13 rail and helicopter services partners. Having 162 partners in over 100 countries means an expanded network reach with more and better connections for travellers, seamless single ticket itineraries, enhanced baggage transfers, frequent flyer benefits, lounge access, and other advantages to ensure a smooth travel experience at every touchpoint.

For customers of partner airlines flying on Emirates, popular destinations are even closer through Emirates’ robust network over 140 destinations and frictionless connectivity offered at DXB, complemented by industry leading experiences on the ground and in the skies, all easily within reach.

In the last year, Emirates launched 16 new partnerships which include codeshares with Avianca and Batik Air Malaysia and the airline also finalised and implemented interline arrangements with KAM Air, Sri Lankan Airlines, Condor, Flynas, Viva Aerobus, Sun Express, Maldivian, Siberia Airlines and Kenya Airways.

From plane to train, Emirates customers are now one ticket away from fast connections to cities across Europe through codeshare partnerships with Trenitalia, Spanish Rail Renfe, Austrian Rail OBB and Swedish Rail SJ. The airline was also the first full-service carrier to enter into an innovative interline partnership with BLADE, an urban air-mobility company to provide Emirates customers with helicopter flights between Nice and Monaco on a single ticket.

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Emirates Airline said: “In the last year, we’ve doubled down on our strategy of deepening our global presence and expanding our footprint across six continents by forging new partnerships with like-minded airlines, rail partners and air mobility operators to provide a huge choice of onwards destinations, connectivity options and seamless ‘last mile’ access for travellers like never before. While organic growth will always at the heart of our plans, we’ll continue to leverage the strength of our partners’ complementary networks as part of our commitment to help our customers reach every corner of the globe in the easiest way possible. World-class connectivity keeps economies strong and resilient, and our partnership growth ambitions align with Dubai’s D33 strategy to make our home and hub the most connected city in the world, attracting business, tourism, and investment from all over the globe.”  

Over the years, Emirates’ many partnerships have paved the way for the airline to form robust networks that not only connect customers to unique points but also provide the advantages of schedule optimisation, seamless connectivity at DXB with access to Terminal 3, as well as reciprocal loyalty benefits. Its cornerstone partnership with flydubai is an exceptional example of how joint cooperation yields smoother journeys and more customer benefits.   Today, customers have access to over 230 destinations across 100 countries, with 275 codeshare flights to choose from on an average day. Emirates customers can book flights to over 90 unique flydubai destinations and flydubai customers can choose from over 100 Emirates destinations. As a result, over 17.5 million passengers have connected on the joint networks of Emirates and flydubai since the partnership launched in 2017.

For leisure travellers heading to popular destinations like the Maldives, Emirates’ unique interline partnership with Maldivian enables customers to access 16 islands beyond Male. Emirates’ partnership with Pro Flight Zambia provides access to 13 points served by the southern African airline, including unique regional getaways like Lower Zambezi National Park, a short trip from Lusaka that offers a captivating safari experience. 

The airline’s major partnerships with United, Air Canada and Qantas continue to deliver unmatched access for its customers to more than 350 destinations across North, Central and South America, Australia, and New Zealand, expanding connection opportunities, providing unrivalled reciprocity across loyalty programmes, as well as other world-class customer benefits like lounge access. 

Emirates continues to expand city pairs on a single ticket and boost connectivity and choice across a number of other strategic partnerships in the airline’s network including:

The Americas: Emirates customers can access more than 375 cities through United, Air Canada and other partner airlines across Canada, Mexico, Caribbean Islands and Central and South America. Customers connecting on Emirates’ network onwards from Dubai can choose from unique destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Central and South Asia.

Europe: Travellers can access over 380 cities through seven codeshare, 33 interline & 12 rail and air mobility partners including Condor, ITA Airways, Air Malta, Air Baltic, Aegean Airlines, TAP Portugal and Siberia Airlines, in addition to Emirates’ rail partners across Germany, Spain France, Italy, Austria and Sweden that provide on-ground transfers and flexibility to explore multiple cities on a single ticket.

Asia: Emirates’ Asian network is further bolstered through the airline’s 12 codeshare partners and 42 interline partners reaching over 500 popular cities across the Far East, West Asia and Indian Ocean, as well as Middle East.

Australia: Emirates long-standing partnership with Qantas provides access to over 85 Australian cities, while Qantas customers can fly Emirates to Dubai and access over 45 cities in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa beyond Qantas’s existing international network.

Africa: Emirates’ footprint across Africa expands to over 210 regional points through 5 codeshare and 18 interline partners, offering superior connectivity and value for customers with more flight options to smaller regional points across the continent. 

Emirates Skywards, the airline’s loyalty programme and Emirates SkyCargo also work closely with codeshare and interline partners to support and complement network and loyalty programme frameworks that ensure both passengers and cargo customers reap the full benefits of the airline’s major partnerships. On the operational side, Emirates Airport Services play a vital role to ensure teams are on hand to assist customers so they can connect seamlessly from one flight to another and access the airline’s Dubai and outstation dedicated lounges.

For more information on airline partners: https://www.emirates.com/english/travel-partners/  

Emirates, the world’s largest A380 operator, returned to ILA Berlin for the 7th consecutive time. The Emirates A380 is on static display for all five airshow days, reaffirming the carrier’s longstanding commitment to the EU’s leading aerospace show. The positioning flight from Berlin to Dubai on Monday will be operated with blended fuel that contains neat SAF, reinforcing the airline‘s active contribution as an exhibitor to reduce its carbon emissions at ILA Berlin 2024. 

About aireg e.V.:

aireg - Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany e.V. was founded in 2011 as an association of companies and organisations from industry, research and science. As a non-profit initiative, aireg is committed to the availability and use of renewable energies in aviation in order to achieve the ambitious CO₂ reduction targets of the aviation industry. The members come from all areas of the value chain of renewable energies for aviation: This ranges from research at universities and large research institutions, plant manufacturers and operators, biorefineries, the petroleum industry, engine and aircraft manufacturers, governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations and airports to airlines. The industrial members internationally cover a broad international spectrum, from start-ups to large corporations.

The expanded partnership will see Condor place their marketing code “DE” on Emirates-operated flights beyond Dubai to some of the most attractive global tourism hotspots, offering new travel options for Condor customers to many unique destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The codeshare activation coincides with Condor's Berlin-Dubai route launch this October. 

The agreement was signed by Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, and Peter Gerber, CEO of Condor, at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Dubai. The signing ceremony was also attended by members of each airline’s executive management teams.

Adnan Kazim commented: “We are pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Condor, one of the most popular leisure airlines in Germany, to offer their customers greater access and strong connection opportunities to unique destinations in our network, complemented by Emirates’ signature in-flight service and hospitality throughout their journey from Dubai. 

Emirates currently has commercial cooperation agreements in place with 161 interline, codeshare and intermodal partners expanding its network reach to over 1650 cities.”

Peter Gerber, said: “To partner up with Emirates, one of the world’s leading airlines, is an important strategic milestone for Condor and our customers. We are happy to offer seamless and even better connectivity by intensifying our existing interline partnership to a codeshare. Our guests will enjoy a way larger choice of flights to even more destinations with the familiar comfort and benefit from the best of both airlines on all flights.”

In November 2023, Emirates and Condor entered a reciprocal interline agreement that boosted connectivity for customers to 70 routes operated by both airlines across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Middle East, with a single ticket fare and hassle-free baggage policy. The two carriers also signed a frequent flyer programme agreement enabling Emirates Skywards members to earn and redeem Miles on all Condor-operated flights. 

Tickets can be booked on www.emirates.com, www.condor.com, with Online Travel Agencies  and all major GDS’ via travel agents.

About Condor

As Germany's most popular leisure airline, Condor has been taking its guests to the world's most beautiful holiday destinations since 1956. Every year, more than nine million guests fly with Condor from 13 airports in Germany, from Zurich as well as Basel in Switzerland to around 90 destinations in Europe, Africa and America. Condor operates a fleet of over 50 aircraft, which are maintained by the company's own maintenance operation, Condor Technik GmbH, according to the highest safety standards at the Frankfurt and Düsseldorf locations. As the German launch customer, Condor is operating most efficient Airbus A330neo long-haul aircraft, which is the European front-runner with 2.1 litres per passenger per 100 kilometres and the highest level of customer comfort. Moreover, Condor has started to roll over its short- and medium haul fleet with 43 brand-new A32Xneo family aircraft. Further information and images are available at www.condor.com/downloads.

The MoU was signed by Nabil Sultan, Emirates Executive Vice President for Passenger Sales and Country Management, and His Excellency Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO & Board Member HiDubai.

Under the new agreement, Emirates will reach and engage with the over 180,000 small and medium businesses on the HiDubai platform which span manufacturing, logistics, retail, service based, among numerous other categories to enrol in its Business Rewards programme, with the aim for these SMEs to start benefiting from travel opportunities that can help grow their businesses and reward them when they travel with the airline.

Emirates has over 40,000 small and medium sized businesses enrolled in its Business Rewards programme, and businesses benefit from simplified enrolment, earning and redemptions when traveling, flexibility on retaining and using points as well as upgrade opportunities based on availability. The airline will also be serving SMEs registered on the HiDubai platform with other exclusive travel offers.

Nabil Sultan said: "Emirates has been a long-standing supporter of Dubai and the wider UAE’s SME ecosystem, and we’re pleased to partner with HiDubai to help small and medium sized businesses, an important pillar and valuable generator of economic activity, to scale up their activities and explore more opportunities when they travel with us. We’re looking forward to providing these businesses with a simple way to earn points and be rewarded with their loyalty, and better meet the needs of this dynamic and growing sector in Dubai.”

His Excellency Abdul Baset Al Janahi said: "HiDubai.com, powered by AI, is a dynamic business discovery platform that enhances local search and fortifies Dubai's SME ecosystem across B2B and B2C domains. With a robust business dashboard, HiDubai garnered over 3 million business leads for SMEs in the previous year alone. Recognizing the escalating importance of the SME sector, we're excited to expand the Emirates Airlines business rewards program to SMEs in Dubai through this innovative tech alliance. This synergy will empower SMEs to optimize operational efficiency and realize substantial cost-saving benefits."

The HiDubai platform’s mission is to become a value enabler for B2C, B2B and online to offline transactions that help people connect with businesses in Dubai and provide then with accurate and reliable information.  HiDubai is also supporting businesses in Dubai to adopt technology for more effective customer engagement. HiDubai allows users to discover new places and companies through the most credible information online, and make informed choices based on community reviews and ratings of local businesses. It also provides local businesses with a digital identity to ensure they are visible to the wider public.  The HiDubai team does field visits to ensure business information, contact details, addresses and GPS coordinates are accurately listed on its website and app.

Recognising that small and medium sized businesses are vital to the economic strength of the communities it serves, Emirates has been a staunch supporter of SMEs, not only through its Business Rewards programme, but also by a focus on identifying local, home-grown businesses in the UAE and across its network for the procurement of products and services.

Hundreds of small and medium sized businesses in a range of industries from around the world have and continue to be part of the Emirates supply chain, and all have benefitted from showcasing their unique products to Emirates’ global customer base, providing a boost to their growth aspirations.

In the UAE, Emirates prioritises SMEs as part of its tendering process, and is actively committed to work with government partners in identifying businesses and evaluating the performance of active suppliers on a regular basis.

Dubai/Mexico City – 24 May 2024: Emirates and Viva Aerobus have signed an interline agreement to enhance connectivity for passengers travelling to Mexico. The partnership will boost access to a host of points in Mexico, allowing Emirates customers to travel onwards from Mexico City to 21 domestic points, while enjoying the convenience of a single baggage policy utilising both airlines on a single ticket.

The interline agreement also unlocks more international routes for Emirates customers, providing 20 convenient flight options connecting six points in Mexico and some popular American cities.

Interline tickets are now on sale for travel effective immediately. Travel itineraries can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates app, and preferred travel agencies. 

Travellers booked on flights from Dubai to Mexico City can choose to fly to 21 additional domestic destinations such as Acapulco, Cancun, Guadalajara and Monterrey, to name a few. The interline network also includes direct flights from US points including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Orlando and Miami to select Mexican destinations, Additionally, travellers from Mexico City can conveniently fly direct to Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York JFK or San Antonio.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President, and Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are pleased to activate an interline partnership with Viva Aerobus to deepen our reach into Mexico, beyond Mexico City. This new partnership provides our customers with more choice to suit their travel plans and enables customers to seamlessly fly to a host of unique destinations in Mexico.  Emirates customers can also now fly directly between select US points and cities in Mexico. This new offering is in line with our Fly Better promise and convenience that can be felt by our customers when flying with us and we look forward to further developing the partnership in the future to elevate its benefits to our customers.”

“We are excited about this new partnership with Emirates. Connecting Emirates route from Barcelona with our Mexico City network of routes, allows Emirates’ passengers to seamlessly reach many other destinations in Mexico and the US. Equally, this opportunity allows passengers from the many Mexican cities to make a short stop in Mexico city, board an Emirates flight to reach the great city of Barcelona and/or to continue their trip to Dubai and beyond. All of this with the convenience of buying a single ticket”, said Javier Suarez, Executive Vice President & Chief Planning and Alliances Officer at Viva Aerobus.

Emirates’ customers can enjoy a premium travel experience, offering elevated comfort and world-class dining, in-flight entertainment and other thoughtful amenities onboard its wide-body aircraft, comprised of Boeing 777 and the coveted flagship double-decker A380 aircraft.

The Dubai-Mexico City route is served by the Boeing 777 aircraft in a two-class configuration. Customers with itineraries that include interline flights from the select US points can look forward to superior levels of comfort and unique features of its A380 service on flights from Dubai to Los Angeles and Houston, before connecting to Viva Aerobus for flights to their final destinations in Mexico. Viva Aerobus’ fleet is comprised of 83 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft with an average age of 5.45 years, making it the most modern fleet in Mexico and the 5th youngest in all of Latin America.

Mexico is an important part of the Emirates network spanning almost 140 destinations. Emirates launched its services to Mexico City in 2019 and the airline currently provides daily flights to the Mexican capital via Barcelona, utilising the Boeing 777-200LR.

Emirates currently has commercial cooperation agreements in place with 161 interline, codeshare and intermodal partners.

●        Avianca customers flying through select European points to access Dubai utilising Emirates services

Dubai, UAE –22 May 2024: Emirates, the worlds’ largest international airline, and Avianca, one of the largest Latin-American carriers, have launched a new codeshare partnership. The new partnership allows Emirates and Avianca customers to enjoy seamless connectivity on select routes.

Emirates customers flying from Emirates’ network via Madrid, Barcelona or London Heathrow, can fly direct to three points in Colombia and enjoy seamless connectivity, in addition to other travel benefits that introduce more convenience. Codeshare flights include Madrid to Bogotá, Medellin or Cali; Barcelona to Bogotá; and London Heathrow to Bogotá.   

Tickets can be booked immediately on emirates.com, avianca.com, the Emirates and Avianca Apps, contact centres or via both online and offline travel agents, with codeshare flights starting from 4 June.

Avianca will place its code on routes operated by Emirates, between Barcelona, Madrid or London Heathrow and Dubai. The Colombian carrier’s customers will fly on Emirates-operated widebody aircraft while enjoying premium dining, lie-flat seats in premium cabins in addition to an abundance of content on Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, featuring more than 6,500 channels of movies, shows, music and more, including in Spanish.

Customers of both airlines will enjoy the convenience of seamless connectivity, hassle-free booking of itineraries on both airlines on a single ticket while reaping the benefit of securing competitive fares, and a single baggage policy checked through to the final destination.

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President, and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates said: “We are delighted to establish a codeshare partnership with Colombia’s largest carrier, Avianca to provide seamless connections on select routes to customers of both airlines. The codeshare agreement will enable us to expand our reach and allow our customers to use our services and fly to additional popular points in Colombia.”

We are also pleased to offer Avianca’s customers connections through points in Spain as well as London Heathrow to and from our hub in Dubai, along with other benefits such a single baggage policy and seamless connectivity. We look forward to developing the relationship further, and introducing more added-value benefits in the future that will be felt by customers of both airlines.”

Claudio Vélez, Chief Revenue Officer, Avianca said: “We are very pleased to launch this codeshare agreement with Emirates which ratifies, once again, our commitment to connectivity, access to new destinations and a greater attraction of passengers to Latin America. This collaboration will bring our region closer to Dubai via Europe and it will also strengthen Avianca’s operation in Barcelona, Madrid and London Heathrow. Emirates is one of the largest and most prestigious airlines in the world, so this partnership is a testimony and recognition of Avianca's track record, our world-class operational indicators, and the strength of our route network.”

Emirates currently has commercial cooperation agreements in place with 161 interline, codeshare and intermodal partners.

Dubai, UAE: 09 May 2024 – Emirates Skywards has renewed its long-standing partnership with Emirates NBD, the leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey) region at the Arabian Travel Market 2024. The award-winning loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai has signed an agreement to enhance its strategic partnership with Emirates NBD - driving product innovation and offering co-brand cardholders even more personalised benefits and experiences.

Emirates NBD Skywards Credit Cards continue to offer cardholders exclusive travel benefits and privileges. The renewal of this partnership underscores Emirates NBD and Emirates Skywards' commitment to providing exceptional value and unparalleled benefits to customers.

Dr. Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Skywards, said: “Emirates NBD has been our valued partner for 15 years, and we look forward to strengthening our partnership for many more years to come. Our strategic collaboration will enable us to roll out more innovative ways to engage with, and reward, our 2.5 million Emirates Skywards members in the UAE. We also look forward to exploring opportunities to expand our partnership across the region, serving customers with unmatched cobrand card propositions.” 

Marwan Hadi, Group Head, Retail Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Emirates Skywards. For 15 years, our co-branded credit cards have been a testament to our shared commitment to providing customers with innovative financial solutions and exclusive travel privileges. We are proud of this partnership and look forward to delivering even more opportunities for our loyal customers for many more years to come."

Offering members more value

Emirates NBD Skywards cardholders can earn Skywards Miles on everyday spends and enjoy a range of travel and lifestyle benefits.

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite credit card holders can sign up and enjoy complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver Tier status – unlocking more benefits such as additional baggage allowance, Emirates Business Class lounge access in Dubai, and more. Members can also earn up to 100,000 bonus Skywards Miles; and up to 2 Skywards Miles for every USD 1 spent with the card.  

Members can also sign up for the Emirates NBD Skywards Signature Credit Cardholders and enjoy earning up to 40,000 Skywards Miles; and earning up to 1.5 Skywards Miles for every USD 1 spent with the card.

Co-brand cardholders can also enjoy complimentary cinema tickets, concierge and valet services, airport transfers and unlimited access to more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide with LoungeKey.

More Miles, more rewards   

Emirates NBD Skywards cardholders can also accelerate their Miles earning by spending with their card across a variety of hotel, car rental, and lifestyle partners such as Dubai Mall, Skywards Miles Mall, Skywards Everyday, and Emirates Skywards Hotels.

Skywards Miles can be redeemed for an extensive range of rewards, including flight tickets with Emirates and partner airlines, upgrades, gift cards, holiday packages, duty free shopping, hotel stays and money-can’t-buy experiences.

Award-wining loyalty programme

With more than 30 million members worldwide, Emirates Skywards continues to be recognized for its innovative products and industry-leading initiatives. The loyalty programme has won more than 50 awards since its inception, and more recently, crowned as “Global Loyalty Programme of the Year Middle East” at the prestigious International Loyalty Awards 2024.

Emirates Skywards was also recognized as “Middle East’s Leading Airline Rewards Programme” at the World Travel Awards 2024; and “Airline with the Best Frequent Flyer Programme” at the Business Traveller Awards 2024.

For more information, visit www.emirates.com/skywards 

Emirates Public Relations

pr@emirates.com

DUBAI, UAE, 08 May 2024 – Emirates and MSC Cruises have renewed their partnership for another two seasons, cementing Dubai’s position as a major cruise hub. 

Announced at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, UAE, the partnership builds on an existing 10-year relationship and will leverage the strengths of the airline and MSC Cruises to enhance the guest experience and support the growth of Dubai’s cruise tourism eco-system. 

For the next two years, guests will be able to book a Fly&Cruise holiday package with MSC Cruises, which includes Emirates return flights from 21 airports across Europe and South America.

Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President for Passenger Sales and Country Management said: “We’re eager to continue our partnership with MSC Cruises who have been an integral part of Dubai’s growing cruise tourism industry. We’re confident that we have the right plans in place, as we work closely to deliver a seamless sea-to-air experience for our customers. Our partnership with MSC Cruises is also one of the ways we’re working to strengthen Dubai’s position as the world’s preferred winter cruising destination.”

Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises, said, “We are delighted to further extend our partnership with Emirates for MSC Euribia Fly&Cruise packages from Dubai this winter season. Both Emirates and MSC Cruises are recognised as leaders in their fields, so it’s a perfect match to offer Emirates’ high-quality flight service with the outstanding experience waiting for guests on board our ship. Guests will benefit from a streamlined journey from home to ship and dedicated support team for a stress-free start and end to their holiday.”

The partnership between Emirates and MSC Cruises will continue to focus on joint promotional strategies such as Fly&Cruise, and marketing campaigns in key markets to boost Dubai’s appeal as a cruise destination. The airline and MSC Cruises will also focus on sharing relevant data and insights to improve service delivery, in addition to coordination on flight and cruise schedules and facilitating a smooth check-in process at Port Rashid.

Benefits of the Fly&Cruise packages include being met at arrivals with a dedicated bus transfer to the ship. On return, guests can drop their bags in the cruise terminal, and collect them directly once they arrive at their destination.

Capitalising on Emirates’ extensive international network, the MSC Fly&Cruise packages including Emirates flights are available from Italy (Milan, Rome), Germany (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Dusseldorf), United Kingdom (London Heathrow, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle) and Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Lisbon, Paris, Stockholm, Vienna, Zurich and São Paulo.

Dedicated Emirates check-in counters at Port Rashid allow passengers who are disembarking from their cruise to check in their luggage and get their flight boarding passes up to four hours before flight departure, breezing through all their airport formalities directly to their departure gate. 

American cruise guests will also soon be able to book their Emirates flight through MSC Cruises from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, Orlando and Washington*.

MSC Euribia, MSC Cruises’ current flagship, will sail from Dubai, UAE for the winter 2024/25 season offering 7-night itineraries calling to destinations including Doha, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and some of the itineraries include Sir Bani Yas – the largest natural island in the United Arab Emirates which offers pristine beaches and diverse wildlife.

For more information about Fly&Cruise packages visit: https://www.msccruises.com/int/our-cruises/fly-and-cruise

*Cruise terminal airline check in + bag drop off not valid for flights to USA

Dubai, UAE, 8 May 2024: As part of Emirates’ efforts to deliver an enriched customer experience across diverse platforms, engage with new consumer segments, and tap into premium traveler preferences, the airline has reaffirmed its partnership with Expedia Group and has signed agreements with tech solutions providers Huawei and Tap Payments on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market.

These partnerships align closely with the airline’s objective of continuously engaging with diverse consumer segments and audiences to provide exclusive benefits and value across a spectrum of travel touchpoints.

Expedia Group

Emirates and Expedia Group have strengthened their decade-long partnership to provide travelers with an even greater value proposition through a wider selection of products and services. The partnership will see Emirates collaborating with Expedia Group to promote select strategic destinations on its platform, making it easier for travelers to seamlessly book their Emirates journeys. Additionally, more joint marketing campaigns will be implemented, leveraging data insights to optimize user experiences and drive engagement for Emirates on Expedia Group sites.

Tap Payments 

Emirates is set to expand its Business Rewards partnerships by joining forces with Tap Payments, one of the largest fintech companies in the region. Tap Payments facilitates online payments across the region by connecting businesses with simple, secure, and unified payment experiences.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Tap Payments on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM).

Together, Emirates and Tap Payments aim to reach, engage with, and attract Tap's extensive small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) customer base across the region, ultimately enrolling them in the Emirates Business Rewards Program.

Additionally, Emirates will offer Tap Payments Rewards members the option of a seamless conversion and transfer of points from the Tap Payments Rewards program to Emirates Business Rewards. Members of Tap Payments Rewards accumulate points with every transaction. The straightforward and quick conversion to Emirates Business Rewards points enables small businesses across the region to start benefiting from travel opportunities that can help grow their businesses.

Huawei

Emirates and the Chinese tech-giant Huawei enhance their strategic cooperation to promote one another to each brand's audience. 

An MoU to elevate the partnership between the two renowned brands was signed by Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East and Zhihua Cao, President of Huawei Consumer Business Group, Middle East and Africa. The enhanced agreement will see both brands collaborate on marketing and PR initiatives across the Middle East, Africa, and China to amplify brand awareness in these key regions. Emirates services will further be promoted through tailored sales campaigns in China, to drive user engagement. Emirates and Huawei reinforce their commitment to ensure the continued development of the Emirates App within Huawei's GalleryApp, guaranteeing users seamless access to the airline’s innovative digital solutions.

Emirates first launched a partnership with Huawei in 2020 to promote the Emirates app to Huawei mobile users and build a more convenient and rewarding experience for its customers. The Emirates App is currently available on Appgallery in all Huawei smart devices including Huawei’s smart watches. In 2022, Emirates and Huawei further enhanced their partnership by signing another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai to establish mutual activities that increase their user reach and brand awareness. 

The agreement was formalised on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, and His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. The agreement was signed by His Excellency Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), and Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer.

His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Driven by the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DET is committed to developing and leveraging partnerships that can contribute towards achieving the city’s ambitious D33 goals. DET and Emirates have already built a powerful collaborative relationship in recent years, and this new MoU further enhances our ability to reach, engage with, and attract business audiences around the world. A key driver of Dubai’s tourism and wider economic growth has been the city’s international connectivity, propelled by Emirates’ global network and reputation as a leading airline, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with Emirates to make Dubai the best city to visit, live and work in.”

Adnan Kazim remarked on the newly-inked cooperation with DET: “Dubai is already a magnet for so many international companies, entrepreneurs and family businesses with its business and investor-friendly climate and landscape, favourable trading conditions and high-standards of living. We’re committed to elevating Dubai’s global economic hub status with our partners at DET to increase its visibility across our network of over 140 cities and beyond through a gamut of promotional activities. We’re also working hard to grow our network and connectivity to complement Dubai’s already formidable trade map. DET’s and Emirates’ coordinated and robust strategy will support our visionary leadership’s goals of doubling the size of Dubai’s economy over the next decade and reinforce its position amongst the top three global cities.”

The strategic partnership will see both entities come together to promote Dubai’s robust business ecosystem, strategic location, unparalleled connectivity to key catchment regions, business-friendly policies and processes, ultra-modern infrastructure, and innovation-led economy. They will target corporates, multinational companies, prominent family businesses, and global investors, positioning Dubai as an ideal hub for businesses looking to tap into rapidly growing economies.

The partnership covers a wide range of initiatives where the two entities can collaborate and complement each other’s efforts; these include marketing campaigns to showcase the city as a key transit point for cargo and passengers, access to a wide range of services and solutions to streamline global logistics operations, and the sharing of market insights to further build awareness and favourability of Dubai as a hub for business, trade and investment. They will also work together on a series of events to strengthen relationships with the international business community, with Emirates becoming ‘Preferred Airline Partner’ at these global exhibitions and conferences.

Dubai has grown to become one of the world’s most dynamic economies, serving as a hub for multinationals, start-ups, family businesses, and entrepreneurs targeting growth in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, with a combined catchment area of over 1.7 billion people. Dubai also boasts state-of-the-art logistics parks, various economic free zones, and transport networks that make the city an ideal hub for businesses looking to streamline their supply chain operations and expand their reach in the region.

Emirates has pledged its renewed commitment with Tourism Seychelles, supporting the island’s efforts to promoting tourism and trade to the country. The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ SVP Commercial - West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary Tourism Department, Tourism Seychelles, in the presence of Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales and Country Management.

Commenting on the airline’s commitment to promoting Seychelles to its customer base, Ahmed Khoory, said: “Seychelles is a key leisure destination in our network that we have proudly been operating in since 2005. Our partnership aimed at promoting tourism to the nation goes back to 2013 and we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting its tourism industry. Seychelles is a tourist destination which is highly popular amongst travellers from key markets in our network and we are proud to play a role in driving traffic flows to the island through our efforts.”

Under the agreement Emirates has committed to supporting travel agents and tour operators in key strategic markets in their efforts to promote Seychelles as a leisure destination. This includes the development of special holiday packages and providing other incentives, marketing support and organising familiarisation trips designed to highlight its appeal to global customers.

Emirates also reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to promoting tourism to Sri Lanka.

The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Chalaka Gajabahu, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, in the presence of Honourable Harin Fernando, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs of Sri Lanka and Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales and Country Management.

Now in its 38^th year of operating in Sri Lanka, Emirates will continue its efforts to support the island nation’s tourism agenda through the development of special packages designed to appeal to a broader set of audiences and familiarisation trips from key feeder markets.  As part of its wider efforts to support the Indian Ocean nation, Emirates will also engage closely with travel agents and tour operators in key strategic markets to help showcase the destination’s offerings to customers across its global network.

 Ahmed Khoory said: “Sri Lanka is one of the very first destinations Emirates launched operations to so our 38-year relationship with the country is one we take special pride in.  We remain committed to deepening our relationship and playing a key role in promoting Sri Lanka as a key leisure destination in our network and contributing to the tourism and trade sectors through our passenger and cargo services.”

Emirates launched its services to Sri Lanka in 1986 and currently operates two direct daily flights to Colombo utilising the Boeing 777-300ER as well as an additional daily service via Male. It is the only international carrier to serve the country with First Class services – offering passengers world-class products and superior comfort in air and on-ground.

Emirates and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will work together with the aim to boost inbound tourism into Hong Kong from key target markets in the Middle East and Europe.

The MoU was signed by Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Far East and Becky IP, Deputy Executive Director of Hong Kong Tourism Board. The agreement not only reaffirms Emirates' commitment to supporting Hong Kong's rebounding travel and tourism industry, but also sets out key joint initiatives shared by both organisations to drive trade and tourism into the city.

Orhan Abbas commented: "We are delighted to establish this strategic partnership with the HKTB to spur growth in the local travel and tourism industry. The city has always been popular among our global customers and it continues to attract visitors all year round thanks to its unique cosmopolitan attractions. Through our extensive global network, we will work closely with the HKTB to introduce travellers from key Middle East and GCC markets to the vibrant culture, Michelin-starred culinary scene and dynamic attractions that Hong Kong has to offer."

The MoU seeks to pursue various joint activities including familiarisation trips, a comprehensive promotional plan, and targeted advertising campaigns.

The MoU was signed at ATM by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, and Bander Almohanna, Group CEO & Managing Director of flynas, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, and flynas Chairman Ayed Al Jeaid, along with other senior representatives from both airlines. 

Emirates’ current interline with flynas provides its customers with enhanced connectivity via its four gateways – Riyadh, Jeddah, Medinah and Dammam - to over 15 domestic points in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It also includes the convenience of single ticket itineraries with onwards booking and baggage transfers.

With the expansion of the interline to a bilateral arrangement, flynas customers can connect across any of Emirates’ gateways in the Kingdom to a select roster of onward destinations on the airline’s network in the Far East, West Asia & Indian Ocean and Europe, via Dubai.

Bander Almohanna, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director in flynas said: “With the expansion of the interline to a bilateral arrangement, flynas travelers can connect to a select roster of Emirates' onward destinations on the airline’s network in the Far East, West Asia & Indian Ocean and Europe, via Dubai. We are quite pleased to offer more choices to our customers through Emirates' wide network. Once the expanded interline partnership is activated, customers will be able to book their travel on the flynas website, through online travel agencies as well as with local travel agents."

Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said: “We are proud to expand our interline agreement with flynas. The existing flynas links provide our customers with an array of possibilities to travel smoothly across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in particular to business hubs and emerging leisure and cultural destinations. Connecting our networks solidifies our commitment to offering travellers in Saudi Arabia access to even more destinations and helping them benefit from unique travel options. The expansion of our interline agreement demonstrates our commitment to Saudi Arabia, and this is only the beginning. We look forward to exploring more opportunities to widen the scope of our partnership in the future.”

Once the expanded interline partnership is activated, customers will be able to book their travel on the flynas website,  through online travel agencies as well as with local travel agents.

Emirates has been working with partners in Saudi Arabia to support the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plans, which includes efforts to attract tourists and promote tourism destinations. In 2022, Emirates signed an MoU with the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) to boost inbound tourism into Saudi Arabia and attract new segments of travellers across the airline’s extensive global network. 

Emirates has been facilitating tourism and trade in the Kingdom since 1989, developing its operations to Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina, Dammam and today serves the four gateways with 73 weekly flights, including A380 services to Riyadh and Jeddah.

Emirates and Tourism Malaysia will work to promote tourism and boost visitor traffic into Malaysia from the airline’s global network.  The MoU was signed by Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East and Datuk (Dr.) Yasmin Mahmood, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia in the presence of Nabil Sultan, Emirates Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales & Country Management.

Through the strategic agreement, both parties will explore joint advertising and tactical campaigns and where viable, Emirates will facilitate familiarisation trips from key markets in the Gulf and the Middle East to Malaysia to generate awareness and demand.

Orhan Abbas commented: “For over three decades, we’ve been serving Malaysia with world-class service and industry-leading products, while seamlessly connecting the popular gateway with the rest of the world. We’re excited to collaborate with Tourism Malaysia to help drive more traffic growth into the market by leveraging our extensive global network to generate more opportunities for travellers to explore Malaysia’s rich attractions, unique landmarks, and cultural heritage.”

Last year, Emirates and Batik Air Malaysia launched a codeshare agreement, allowing Emirates’ customers to easily access five domestic Malaysian cities and three regional Southeast Asia points via Kuala Lumpur.

Emirates and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) will collaborate on strengthening Türkiye’s touristic appeal in new and existing source markets. The agreement was signed by Thierry Aucoc, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe and İsmail Bütün, General Manager of TGA in the presence of Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer.

Under the new agreement, Emirates and TGA will join hands to promote tourism from key markets across the airline’s global network, explore opportunities to organise familiarisation trips to Türkiye, and collaborate on joint marketing and promotional campaigns that highlight the destination’s uniqueness.

Thierry Aucoc commented: “We’re pleased to partner with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), to boost visitor traffic into Türkiye. Through our extensive network and track-record of strong global partnerships, we’re well-placed to support the market’s tourism goals and air connectivity needs. Türkiye is one of the most popular destinations in our network due to its vibrant cultural highlights, world-renowned heritage sites and fantastic gastronomic offerings, we’re confident that our collaborative efforts will inspire more travellers to visit the country and explore its many attractions.”

Türkiye welcomed around 56.7 million visitors in 2023, and so far in 2024, has drawn in more than 7 million foreign visitors in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 13.37%. Emirates currently operates 21 weekly flights to Istanbul with a mix of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.

Emirates and The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) will work together to provide travel services at preferential rates to ADCCI’s employees and members, in addition to providing Chamber members with additional benefits under its Business Rewards programme for SMEs. ADCCI will enable Emirates to promote its new products and destination network, as well as special offers, to Chamber members at its busy roster of events, and the airline will also serve its members with marketing promotions across its digital platforms. 

The agreement was signed by Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East and Liu Yang, Director, China Cultural Centre in the UAE in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group, Her Excellency Ou Boqian, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Dubai and Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales and Country Management.

Emirates will work with the China Cultural Centre in the UAE to promote China in key markets across its global network through joint advertising campaigns. The airline will also explore opportunities to organise familiarisation trips from these markets to China, to increase awareness about the market’s touristic appeal and develop more business and trade opportunities. 

Orhan Abbas commented: “China has always been a strategically important market for Emirates, and we’re pleased to collaborate with the UAE-based China Cultural Centre to drive increased visitor traffic and generate more opportunities for travellers from across our network to explore China’s vibrant cities and unique sights. This year, we marked two decades of Emirates’ successful operations in China, a remarkable journey that has enabled us to establish long-term partnerships in travel and trade, and contribute significantly to China’s economy and local community.

We will continue to invest in our already strong partnership with China and offer customers world-class service, a seamless travel experience, and extensive global connectivity to serve its ever-growing international travel needs.”

Liu Yang commented: “Emirates has always been a very important and special partner for China Cultural Center in the UAE. Last year we made a very good collaboration with Emirates to bring the GCC buyers to attend the China International Travel Mart (CITM), and today we are together again with a historical MoU on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market This year is also the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United Arab Emirates, we can see a bright future for both sides’ tourism promotion and we can help to let the people of both sides know each other better and deeper by their own eyes.”

Emirates operates 35 weekly flights to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, and offers travellers increased connectivity to 24 domestic points via the three gateways, as well as 6 regional points via Guangzhou through its partnership with China Southern Airline. Emirates also offers travellers enhanced air connectivity to China through its interline agreements with Air China, China Eastern and Cathay Pacific.

 Prioritising the resumption of sporting activities to support local communities, the team at the Sevens Stadium, along with their suppliers and partners collectively joined hands a day after the rains to quickly restore and rehabilitate damaged areas at the venue. Cleaners, landscapers and other partners helped the Sevens Stadium teams clear waterlogged areas and debris, as well as revive pitch lawns. The durability of structures across the stadium withstood high winds and sustained minimal damage and were quickly restored for public use.

 By Thursday, the Sevens Stadium reopened with most of the site able to accommodate cricket, rugby and football matches along with other sporting activities, and food and beverage venues were ready to welcome guests. Over the course of the next four days the stadium hosted over 136 hours of training sessions and fixtures across 8 of its sport pitches and cricket ovals. This is in addition to the Gulf Open Cup, an international youth football tournament, a corporate touch rugby tournament for 350 people of which 85% of participants came from outside the UAE, multiple 11v11 football club matches, two international women’s’ cricket matches from four countries, senior men’s, women’s, boys and girls semi-final rugby fixtures, and regular local team cricket matches. Regular mini and youth rugby practice matches also resumed by Saturday and Sunday with over 2,500 people attending onsite.

 In total, over 5,500 people came through the Stadium’s doors since reopening and another 7,000 people will be heading to the world-class venue this upcoming weekend for community-based sports events like the Youth Football League (YFL), Dubai Amateur Football League (DAFL), Japanese Football Club Dubai Blue matches and training, DASSA School Rugby Finals, Dubai Hurricanes and Exiles training, netball matches and over 20 local T20 cricket matches.

The Sevens Stadium is an active contributor to Dubai’s vibrant sports scene, hosting a dynamic calendar of community sports including cricket, football, rugby, netball, and other sports at its various courts, fields and pitches.  The Stadium has established itself as a best-in-class choice for local and international events and teams looking for world-class facilities in Dubai and across the region.

Dubai, UAE: 15 January 2024 – Emirates and Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras S.A (Azul) have taken their partnership to new heights with the launch of a reciprocal loyalty programme offering. Emirates Skywards and TudoAzul frequent flyer members can now earn and redeem Miles across a joint network of 280 destinations worldwide. The two carriers launched a codeshare partnership in 2021 to provide customers enhanced connectivity to/from eight cities in Brazil to Emirates’ global network via Sao Paulo.

Dr. Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Skywards, said: “We’re very pleased to be announcing a new partnership with Azul, the largest airline in Brazil. Skywards members can now rack up even more Miles while discovering hundreds of cities across Brazil and South America.

Azul members can also look forward to earning and redeeming Miles on more than 130 destinations across Emirates’ global network. We look forward to the start of a great partnership and to unlocking fantastic benefits for our frequent flyer members.”

Cristina Yoshida, Director of Loyalty Program & Ancillary Revenue at Azul, added: “Our partnership with Emirates, a company globally recognized for its excellence in service, means a significant progress in our mission to provide memorable experiences to the customers. We are expanding Azul’s destinations and portfolio, reinforcing our commitment to a loyalty program that offers the best options to the members.”

More opportunities to “earn and burn” Miles

Under the agreement, Emirates Skywards members can earn Miles while traveling across Azul’s  network of more than 150 destinations. Skywards members earn up to 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown in Economy class, and up to 1.5 Skywards Miles per mile flown in Business Class.

Members can also redeem flight rewards on Azul Economy Class on emirates.com (starting from 8,000 Miles for a one-way reward ticket) and Azul Business Class (starting from 17,500 Miles for a one-way reward ticket).

The partnership will also enable TudoAzul members to earn Miles across Emirates’ global network of more than 130 destinations, across six continents. Azul members can also enjoy flight rewards on Emirates Economy and Business Class cabins.*

Connecting Brazil to the world

Emirates currently operates a daily A380 service to Sao Paulo, featuring its highly lauded Premium Economy cabin. The airline also operates a Boeing 777-300ER service between Dubai and Rio de Janeiro, which also connects travellers onwards to Buenos Aires.

The codeshare agreement with Emirates and Azul allows customers to connect to/from Rio de Janeiro,  Santos Dumont (SDU), Belem (BEL) Belo Horizonte (CNF), Cuiaba (CGB), Curitiba (CWB), Juazeiro Do Norte (JDO), Porto Alegre (POA) and Recife (REC) airports on flights operated by Azul to Emirates flights from Sao Paulo (GRU) to Dubai and beyond with a single ticket.

Top-ranking loyalty programme

Emirates Skywards has more than 30 million members worldwide. The loyalty programme offers four tiers of membership - Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum - with each tier earning exclusive privileges, including: airport lounge access, instant flight upgrades, priority check-in and boarding, complimentary seat selection, excess baggage allowance, preferential Cash+Miles rates, and complimentary Wi-Fi internet on-board.

Emirates Skywards has hundreds of brand partners including airline, hotel, financial, retail, and lifestyle partners. The loyalty programme recently launched a one-stop shop for members to learn how to earn and spend Miles, every day, everywhere with more than 4,000 retail, lifestyle, and car rental partners; and access to around 2 million hotels via travel partners worldwide. Click here to explore a world of lifestyle rewards with Skywards Living. 

Recognised for its industry leading initiatives and innovative product offerings - Emirates Skywards has scooped more than 50 awards since its inception. More recently, the programme won: “Best Earning and Redemption Ability” at the 2023 Frequent Traveler Awards; and World’s Leading Rewards Programme at the prestigious 2023 World Travel Awards – an accolade it has won for the last 10 out of 12 years.

For more information, visit emirates.com/skywards

*Terms and conditions apply

About Emirates:

Emirates is an award-winning international airline with a global footprint across six continents, connecting passengers and facilitating global trade to and through its modern hub, Dubai. The airline operates one of the most modern and efficient aircraft fleet comprised of spacious and comfortable Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. With a culturally diverse workforce from over 160 nations worldwide, Emirates caters to its global customer base by delivering exceptional services and world-class products.

Emirates Skywards is the loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai. Members can earn Skywards Miles with partners ranging from airlines, hotels and car rentals to financial, leisure and lifestyle brands. Skywards Miles can be redeemed for an extensive range of rewards, including flight tickets on partner airlines, flight upgrades, hotel stays, tickets, hospitality at sporting and cultural events, tours and money-can’t-buy experiences.

For more information, visit emirates.com.

About Azul:

Azul S.A. (B3: AZUL4, NYSE: AZUL), the largest airline in Brazil by number of flight departures and cities served, offers 1,000 daily flights to over 150 destinations. With an operating fleet of over 180 aircraft and more than 16,000 Crewmembers, the Company has a network of 300 non-stop routes as of September 2023. Azul was named by Cirium (leading aviation data analysis company) as the 2nd most on-time airline in the world in 2023. In 2020 Azul was awarded best airline in the world by TripAdvisor, the first time a Brazilian flag carrier earned the number one ranking in the Traveler’s Choice Awards. For more information visit www.voeazul.com.br/ir.

Emirates Public Relations 

pr@emirates.com

Efforts will focus on key areas including: drone assisted aircraft inspections, sharpening the precision and effectiveness of maintenance tasks through use of virtual and augmented reality, in addition to next generation prognostic and predictive maintenance.

Ahmed Safa, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Engineering said: “Our partnership with Boeing will enable us to maximize the benefits of advanced technologies and digital excellence to improve operational reliability, minimize disruptions and ensure our fleet operates at the highest standards, ultimately providing our customers a better travel experience. Whether its drones conducting inspections with meticulous agility or AR visualisations that help engineers see behind panels or inside ducts to locate potentially defective components not visible to the naked eye, without having to dismantle them, we’re taking significant steps to optimize aircraft maintenance to its full potential on our fleet of Boeing 777s.”

“Supporting our customers on their digital transformation journey is about more than just enhancing maintenance operations,” Brad Surak, Vice President of Digital Aviation Solutions, Boeing Global Services said. “It's about applying innovation to ensure their needs for optimum operations are met today and long term.”

The integration of drone technology for maintenance tasks represents a leap forward for the airline, helping speed up exterior inspections on wide-body aircraft utilizing ultra-high resolution cameras with the capability to reach every angle of the aircraft to detect surface imperfections. The imagery and data collected becomes the basis of highly detailed reports, allowing far greater precision and helping with audits of future inspections.

Mixed Reality and the use of augmented reality and virtual reality visual tools means engineers can investigate the innermost workings of any part of an aircraft and other intricacies. These technologies promise to deliver more precise and comprehensive aircraft inspections, reduce the risk of human error, and significantly cut down the time aircraft spend out of service – optimizing fleet availability and performance.

Next generation prognostic and predictive maintenance technology provided by Boeing leverages advanced analytics and prognostic insights, enabling Emirates to make more informed fleet maintenance decisions.

Emirates Engineering is one of the world’s most technologically advanced aircraft maintenance facilities, supporting the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft. The team manage and implement all aspects of maintenance, engineering, quality, planning and logistics. The 400,000 square metre facility features 12 hangars which form the largest free-spanned structures in the Middle East.