Emirates eyes closer ties with flydubai

Emirates (EK, Dubai Int’l) is planning to increase cooperation with its sister carrier flydubai (FZ, Dubai Int’l) in the post-COVID recovery period, but the two airlines will not merge, President Tim Clark said during an interview held online by the Arabian Travel Market. “We’ve been able to step back a little bit and make an assessment of perhaps where this relationship can be activated a little bit more meaningfully, more profitably, and give both carriers synergies,” Clark said. Both airlines are owned by the government of Dubai and provide complementary services, with Emirates operating exclusively widebody aircraft and flydubai – exclusively narrowbody. Although the latter airline was initially created as a low-cost carrier, it has evolved. It now operates as a full-service carrier with dedicated business class seats onboard its B737-800, B737-8s, and B737-9s. The two airlines have an existing code-share partnership and coordinate their schedules, although they operate as separate businesses. Clark underlined that despite the benefits of cooperation, the two airlines would continue to “grow together” as separate units. He added that Emirates was also exploring options to gradually increase cooperation with Etihad Airways, although this process was more complicated due to both regulatory hurdles and the ongoing strategic review of the Abu Dhabi Int’l-based flag carrier.