Emirates and Air Canada begin codeshare pact covering 46 destinations

Emirates and Air Canada on Tuesday started a codeshare deal that will cover 46 destinations across North America, the Middle East, Africa, South-East Asia and India.

Codeshare tickets will be on sale starting November 1 to 35 markets for travel effective from December 1, Emirates said.

An additional 11 markets will be added after final regulatory approval, with the potential for more markets to be included beyond that, the Dubai-based airline said.

"Partnering with Canada’s flag carrier enables us to offer customers seamless connectivity when flying to domestic points within Canada via Toronto," Tim Clark, president of Emirates airline, said.

"The partnership allows Air Canada’s customers to travel to destinations across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, thanks to our expansive network via our hub in Dubai.”

Emirates airline has long been seeking to increase its direct flights to Toronto and add more Canadian destinations. The pact with Air Canada is the latest in a flurry of codeshare partnerships that Emirates has signed, including most recently with US carrier United Airlines, Greece's Aegean Airlines and Portugal's TAP.

The codeshare deal will allow Air Canada to "meaningfully broaden the choice of flight options for our customers. It will create easier connections between Canada and destinations in the Middle East, Africa, South-East Asia and the Indian subcontinent", said Michael Rousseau, president and chief executive at Air Canada.

"It will allow us to draw more connecting traffic through our Toronto global hub and expand our presence in these dynamic regions where demand for global travel is expected to grow."

Emirates customers can book codeshare flights to and from Canadian cities beyond Toronto, including Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.

Air Canada will place its code on routes operated by Emirates from its hub in Dubai, expanding its reach to more destinations including Colombo, Dhaka, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.

South-East Asian destinations include Bangkok, Hanoi, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore; Middle Eastern cities include Jeddah and Muscat; while destinations in Africa include Addis Ababa and Dar Es Salaam.

Frequent flyer members of Skywards and Aeroplan will soon be able to earn and redeem points or miles when flying with both airlines, Emirates said.