Emirates, flydubai joint network carries over 5m passengers in 2024

Emirates and flydubai are setting the gold standard in airline partnerships, hitting a milestone 5 million travellers flying on their joint networks in the past year, reflecting an outstanding 36% positive growth in joint passengers carried compared to the previous year.

This latest milestone represents the culmination of more than seven years of close coordination and a shared objective to streamline travel and enhance Dubai’s connectivity. Supporting Dubai’s D33 vision to become a major economic hub, Emirates and flydubai are also poised to make Dubai one of the most connected cities in the world by adding 400 destinations to its foreign trade and tourism map.

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group and Chairman of flydubai, said, “The Emirates and flydubai partnership has been a gamechanger for both carriers. It is a testament to collaborative excellence that has delivered more flight options and a better experience for travellers, underpinned by a vast network that connects every corner of the globe. I’m immensely proud of what has been achieved so far, and look forward to the next phase of growth and impact that both Emirates and flydubai will have on enhancing Dubai’s connectivity and shaping the future of air travel across regions.”

Since 2017, the partnership has delivered an array of benefits to more than 22 million customers who have travelled across the joint network of both carriers. By combining the strength of their networks, Emirates and flydubai have created a robust schedule that offers unrivalled choice and convenience, and one integrated loyalty programme that continues to deliver fantastic benefits.

Starting with just 29 cities in 2017, today, the Emirates and flydubai joint network has expanded to a staggering 240 destinations in more than 100 countries, complemented by seamless on-ground experiences, a smooth check-in process, efficient baggage transfers, optimised flight schedules and enhanced connectivity at Dubai Airport with access to Terminal 3.

On average, customers can choose from 295 codeshare flights each day, which means expanded schedules and more flexibility when choosing departure times. More than 330 weekly flights operated by flydubai depart Terminal 3 to popular destinations including Zanzibar, Kathmandu, Krabi, Riyadh, and Naples. Emirates customers can explore more than 132 flydubai destinations, while flydubai passengers can access more than 142 Emirates destinations.

Both carriers continue to offer world-class travel experiences with robust passenger demand for premium cabins which have grown by 31 per cent, which speaks to the strength of Emirates’ and flydubai’s product propositions.

In the last year, Emirates has launched flights to Bogota, Colombia, and Antananarivo in Madagascar, and plans to connect to Da Nang, Siem Reap and Shenzhen this summer. flydubai also announced 10 new cities, including popular destinations Antalya, Basel and Al Alamein for the summer season.

From its home in Dubai, flydubai has created a network of more than 130 destinations served by a fleet of 89 aircraft.

Emirates expands services: Emirates will introduce a slew of Boeing 777 and Airbus A380s with upgraded cabins to 8 more cities on its network in the coming months.

The airline will roll out its refreshed A380s to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Nice and Perth and its upgraded Boeing 777s to Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket and Frankfurt, as well as another refitted Boeing 777 service to Dublin.

The airline’s retrofit programme continues to advance at a remarkable pace with Emirates Engineering Centre teams working round the clock to complete full nose-to-tail makeovers at an average rate of one wide-body aircraft every three weeks.

The airline will also receive its first long-range A350 later this year, which is set to make its debut in Australia with the introduction of flights to Adelaide from 1st December.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said, “The latest rollout of refurbished Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s and new A350s offer more opportunities for customers in over 70 dynamic cities and growing economies to enjoy our latest generation premium onboard experience combined with our award-winning service. The redoubling of our refurbishment programme efforts means that by the end of this year, Emirates will have established itself as one of the preeminent industry leaders offering Premium Economy seats.

In the next two years, we will definitively cement our position as the industry leader in Premium Economy deployment. The scaling up of our Premium Economy offering strengthens our competitive proposition to travellers and makes it our strategic differentiator by offering them more choice as they increasingly seek premium travel experiences.”

He added, “Deploying our first long-range A350 to Adelaide is an exciting development and underscores the importance of Australia as a major eastbound anchor in our network. It also represents our commitment to delivering the best possible long-haul experience on our latest generation aircraft.”

By the end of 2025, Emirates expects to receive 5 A350 aircraft earmarked to serve long-haul missions, featuring 32 lie-flat Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, 28 seats in Premium Economy, and 238 generously pitched Economy Class seats.

Since the start of the refurbishment programme in November 2022, Emirates has upgraded the interiors of 51 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, now flying to 38 destinations.

The airline’s plans include entire cabin refurbishments of 219 aircraft, representing 110 Airbus A380s and 109 Boeing 777s.

The airline’s unprecedented US $5 billion retrofit investment stands unrivalled in the aviation industry in scale and size, uniquely focused on enhancing the onboard experience for customers.

Meticulously orchestrated under the expertise of the Emirates Engineering team, over 270 engineers and technicians work round the clock, devoting over 1,800 man-hours each day to bring each aircraft to impeccable completion.

WAM