Emirates has signed an interline agreement with Loong Air, allowing passengers to connect to dozens of additional destinations across China.
The agreement takes effect immediately and gives Emirates customers access to 22 destinations operated by Loong Air via key gateways including Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The newly available cities span multiple regions of the country, including Zhengzhou, Changchun, Haikou, Xiangyang and Dazhou.
The interline agreement allows travellers to book flights across both airlines on a single ticket, with baggage checked through to their final destination and consistent fare conditions across the journey. The move expands Emirates’ reach within China without requiring the airline to operate its own flights to those cities.
Tickets covering the combined routes can be booked through the Emirates website, online travel agencies and travel agents using global distribution systems. Customers booking through the airline’s website can also use payment platforms including WeChat Pay and Alipay.
The agreement comes as Emirates continues to grow its presence in China. The airline began flying to Hangzhou and Shenzhen last year and also reintroduced its Airbus A380 on services to Shanghai.
Emirates has operated flights to mainland China since 2004 and now serves five cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou — with 49 weekly flights using Airbus A380, Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft.
In addition to Loong Air, Emirates has partnerships with other Chinese carriers including Air China, China Southern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines, providing connections to more than 110 destinations across the country beyond its own network.
Loong Air, formally known as Zhejiang Loong Airlines Co., Ltd., was founded in 2011 and launched passenger services in 2013. The airline is headquartered in Hangzhou and operates additional branches in Xi’an, Chengdu and Guangzhou.
The airline began international passenger flights in 2016 and operates routes including Hangzhou to Hong Kong and Xi’an to Tashkent. Loong Air also has interline agreements with carriers including Cathay Pacific and Uzbekistan Airways.
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