(TAN): Air Canada and flydubai has announced a new partnership to give customers flying between Canada, the Middle East, East Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Southern Asia more convenient travel options, the Canadian carrier said in a news release.
Pending final regulatory approval, Air Canada’s marketing code will be placed on nine routes operated from Dubai by flydubai, giving customers the ability to travel to these markets with the issuance of a single ticket. The routes include the Middle Eastern cities of Medina, Dammam, Bahrain, Jeddah, and Muscat, as well as flights to Colombo, and Karachi on the Indian Subcontinent.
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Additionally, through an interline arrangement, customers will be able to seamlessly connect in Dubai to more than 60 destinations that flydubai flies to in the Middle East, East Africa and Southern Asia – including Kathmandu, Djibouti and the Maldives. Of these destinations, more than 30 are unique to flydubai and not flown by other partners of Air Canada.
“This new partnership is a perfect complement to Air Canada’s non-stop service to Dubai from Toronto and Vancouver, and growing our relationship with Emirates, flydubai’s codeshare partner. Together we look forward to bringing together our networks and building a better experience for our customers,” said Mark Galardo, EVP, revenue and network planning at Air Canada.
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Hamad Obaidalla, chief commercial officer at flydubai, said: “We are very pleased to be adding Air Canada to our list of partners and to offer their passengers a seamless travel experience on the flydubai network. We look forward to growing this partnership that offers passengers the benefits and the convenience of connecting via the Dubai aviation hub and we look forward to welcoming them on board soon.”
The airlines also plan on further improving the connection process in Dubai, and are working toward introducing expanded features and benefits for one another’s loyalty programme members to be announced later this year.
