Emirates, SpiceJet seal codeshare deal

Dubai / Emirates Business

Emirates signed a codeshare and interline agreement with SpiceJet to give travellers to and from India seamless access to a wider and a stronger route network. This is the first-ever codeshare agreement signed by SpiceJet.
From early 2020, customers travelling to India can take advantage of many more flight options on routes common to both airlines – Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Cochin and Delhi. Emirates’ customers can conveniently book and connect seamlessly in Dubai on direct services to Amritsar, Calicut, Mangalore, Madurai, Jaipur and Pune – routes served by SpiceJet.
The codeshare agreement means travellers from across the globe can book a single ticket with attractive fares to any of Emirates’ nine points across India and connect onwards to 172 domestic routes that are part of SpiceJet’s network. SpiceJet’s domestic network includes popular destinations like Goa, Dehradun, Dharamshala, Jaisalmer, Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Guwahati, Pondicherry, Port Blair, Shirdi, Tirupati, Udaipur and Varanasi.
In this first phase of the interline agreement, customers can start booking flights from November 25, for travel starting December 15.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “Emirates has historically shared a close and collaborative bond with India. In the last decade, we have flown more than 50 million customers on our Indian routes, which we now serve with 170 weekly services from Dubai.”

Our partnership will help us leverage SpiceJet’s extensive route network, so that our customers who are visiting friends and family can fly closer to their hometowns, while tourists can more easily access many of the incredible sights and sounds India has to offer. This will also have a significant and positive impact on businesses in both countries and globally. We look to strengthening our partnership with SpiceJet even more in the coming months.”
Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet said: “We are very pleased to partner with Emirates for this new codeshare agreement which will offer a seamless travel experience and the widest possible travel options to our passengers travelling to and from Europe, America, Africa and the Middle East. This codeshare will further strengthen our position in the region and complement our international expansion strategy.”
The codeshare agreement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by both airlines in April 2019.
The codeshare agreement is subject to government approvals.

Emirates adds fourth daily flight to Dhaka
Dubai / Emirates Business

Emirates is adding a fourth daily service to Dhaka from June 1, 2020, to cater to Bangladesh’s growing economy and country’s large diaspora who work and live in the Middle East, Europe and the US.
The new service will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER in a two-class configuration, featuring 42 Business Class and 310 Economy Class seats, and belly-hold cargo capacity of up to 20 tonnes.
During the last 33 years, the airline has flown over 9.9 million passengers between Dubai and Dhaka.

Emirates has gradually grown its services to Dhaka over the years – from two weekly services in 1986 to three daily services in 2013 to keep up with customer demand.
During the last 33 years, the airline has flown over 9.9 million passengers between Dubai and Dhaka.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Emirates shares a special bond with Bangladesh that goes back 33 years, and our new service is a testament to the country’s significance on Emirates’ global network. With this service, the large diaspora of Bangladeshis, especially in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UK, USA and Italy will benefit from a more varied and flexible schedule, as well as smooth and seamless connectivity from Dubai. Our fourth daily will also encourage Bangladeshis to explore the world more, and it robustly supports the country’s tourism, business, commerce and trade.”
Flight EK588 will depart Dubai at 22:30hrs and arrive in Dhaka at 05:20hrs next day. The return flight EK589 will depart Dhaka at 08:00hrs and arrive in Dubai at 11:00hrs. The service has been carefully timed to create convenient connections to popular cities, including London, Rome, Frankfurt, Porto, New York, Washington, D.C., Mexico City, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
With the new service, Emirates SkyCargo will offer around 1,100 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity every week, finding global markets for Bangladesh’s exports that include readymade garments, medicines, leather goods, and fresh produce.
Emirates is renowned for embracing world cultures, which is reflected in its inflight services. Customers of all ages are regaled with more than 4,500 channels on ice, the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, which includes the latest Bangladeshi movies like Poramon 2, Ekti Cinemar Golpo and Sunno.
Customers can look forward to world-class hospitality from Emirates’ iconic, multinational cabin crew, while enjoying both regionally inspired and international cuisine. Dishes like aloo diye khashir mangsho (mutton curry with potatoes), shorshe begun (eggplant with mustard) and bhuna gosht (meat dish) have been hot favourites among Bangladeshi customers.
Besides a generous baggage allowance of up to 35kgs in Economy Class and 40kgs in Business Class, customers can also enjoy 20MB complimentary Wi-Fi in all cabin classes. Families can take advantage of priority boarding, and use strollers for free at Dubai International airport. Emirates Skywards members can use Cash+Miles to book flight tickets, and redeem Miles for reward tickets and upgrades.
Emirates has gradually grown its services to Dhaka over the years – from two weekly services in 1986 to three daily services in 2013 to keep up with customer demand. During the last 33 years, the airline has flown over 9.9 million passengers between Dubai and Dhaka.