Emirates Forges Codeshare Partnership with China Southern Airlines to Enhance Trade Opportunities in China for Pakistani Businesses
Photo caption: Executives from Emirates and China Southern at the signing ceremony for a codeshare agreement between the two airlines. From left to right: Mr. T.G. Venugopal, Senior Manager, Codeshare Cooperation of Emirates; Mr. Wang Wenwu, SVP, Publicity of China Southern; Mr. Badr Abbas, Senior VP Commercial Operations, Far East of Emirates; Mr. Anand Lakshminarayanan, SVP Revenue Optimisation and Airline Partnerships of Emirates; Mr. HAN Wensheng, Chief Operating Officer of China Southern; Mr. WU Guoxiang, SVP, International and Corporate Relations of China Southern; Mr. Adam Li, VP of Emirates China Ms. Huang Ya, SVP, Ground Services of China Southern; and Mr. SU Ming SVP, Network Planning and Revenue Management of China Southern)
Pakistan and China are longstanding strategic partners with trade links across the border for several businesses. The two neighbouring countries have also launched the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is a framework for regional connectivity aimed at enhancing geographical linkages and improved trade and business opportunities. This code share agreement will go a long way in enhancing connectivity for Pakistani businessmen who can choose to travel to an increased number of Chinese cities.
The partnership with the Guangzhou-based carrier will allow Pakistani passengers to enjoy seamless connectivity on domestic flights within China, adding eight new destinations to its global network. The Chinese cities covered by the codeshare agreement include Fuzhou, Chongqing, Kunming, Qingdao, Xiamen, Chengdu, Nanjing and Xi 'an during the initial phase of the partnership, subject to necessary government approvals.
Passengers travelling from China will have more choice and travel seamlessly with minimum connection times, when flying to destinations in Emirates’ Middle East network such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Muscat, Kuwait and Cairo. The codeshare agreement also includes flights to African destinations such as Seychelles and Lagos, operated by Emirates.
Pakistani Passengers can also enjoy hassle-free stopovers in Dubai, and experience what the city has to offer before flying to their final destinations. The codeshare partnership will provide customers with the simplicity of purchasing connecting flights using one reservation, and a smooth ticketing, check-in, boarding and baggage check experience during the entire journey.
“We’re pleased to establish a partnership with China Southern Airlines, allowing Emirates’ Pakistani customers to benefit from increased choice, flexibility and ease of connection to different cities across China’s provinces, by connecting in Guangzhou. The addition of the eight domestic routes in the initial stage expands our reach in China, beyond the three Chinese hub cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimisation & Aeropolitical Affairs. “Pakistan and China share strong trade ties. With this partnership, our Pakistani passengers will have more options for their travels to China for the purpose of trade and business.”
“Today’s signing is especially monumental for Emirates, as it represents the first codeshare agreement between Emirates and a China-based airline. It is also the largest airline in China by passenger numbers so we are excited by the prospects the agreement brings. This will be an important milestone in our efforts to deepen Emirates' presence in the Chinese market,” continued Kazim.
Emirates currently has codeshare agreements in place with 23 partners around the world. With the new codeshare partnership with China Southern Airlines, Emirates customers in Pakistan will be able to enjoy connectivity to over 160 destinations in Asia Pacific.
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