Emirates grows in China with Loong Air deal

Emirates and Loong Air have signed an interline agreement that increases Emirates’s footprint in China and offers the airline’s customers access to additional cities beyond its own gateways. Starting immediately, Emirates customers will have access to 22 points across China operated by Loong Air via Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The cities span several regions across East, Northeast, South, Central, and Southwest China. The partnership offers customers the simplicity of booking multi-airline itineraries with a single fare, along with one seamless baggage policy and consistent fare conditions throughout their journey. Emirates’ expanded reach in China will further enhance connectivity for leisure and business travellers alike, unlocking convenient access to key domestic hubs including Zhengzhou, Changchun, Haikou, Xiangyang, and Dazhou. The launch of an interline agreement with Loong Air is part of Emirates’ ongoing commitment to the Chinese market. Last year, the airline launched flights to two new destinations – Shenzhen and Hangzhou, and has further enhanced its product offerings by deploying its award-winning Premium Economy on these new routes, in addition to bringing back its iconic A380 on Shanghai flights. Emirates has been operating in the Chinese mainland since 2004. Today, the airline serves five major cities with 49 weekly flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou using a mix of A380s, A350s and Boeing 777s. In addition to Loong Air, Emirates is also partnered with Air China, China Southern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines, offering customers access to more than 110 points in China beyond its own network, via its existing 5 gateways. Loong Air was founded on April 19, 2011. It launched passenger services on December 29, 2013. Headquartered in Hangzhou, the airline has established Northwest, Southwest, and Central-South branches in Xi’an, Chengdu, and Guangzhou respectively. Loong Air launched its inaugural international passenger flight on June 28, 2016. To date, the airline has opened multiple international routes and established interline partnerships with carriers such as Cathay Pacific and Uzbekistan Airways. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]