Emirates and 
Air Canada are strengthening their strategic alliance by expanding and extending their partnership until 2032. With over half a million customers served since the two carriers joined forces in 2022, the cooperation connects 56 routes linking Canada, the US, Dubai and other destinations worldwide.
The renewed agreement promises to open up more routes and improve premium travel perks for customers, while boosting cargo flows between North America and key markets across the Middle East and Asia.
Emirates And Air Canada Deepen Strategic Partnership
The two airlines have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to extend their partnership until December 31, 2032, renewing a cooperation that has borne much success in the past three years. It is expected to significantly enhance tourism and trade between Canada and the UAE, enriching both passenger travel options and logistical efficiency.
The expanded agreement is set to deepen customer benefits, as well as strengthen cargo cooperation to facilitate greater trade across the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Additionally, the carriers are looking at the possibility of launching a future cargo joint venture that would capitalize on growing global freight demand. Trade between the two countries has been growing rapidly, with Canadian exports up 17% year-on-year and bilateral trade growing by 14%, while Emirates has also seen cargo volumes from Canada rise by 37%.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, commented,
“This is a significant partnership that will enable our customers access to even more destinations in Canada and the Americas, via our Toronto and US gateways. It also opens up many new route combinations for travelers across Emirates’ and Air Canada’s extensive networks in the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.”
Loyalty Member Perks
A large part of what makes this partnership so successful is its comprehensive scope, covering codeshares, lounge access for eligible customers, and reciprocal loyalty benefits. As part of the latest agreement, Emirates and Air Canada plan to widen premium cabin accessibility for passengers by expanding redemptions to Premium Economy class, enabling Skywards and Aeroplan members to earn and redeem in all cabin classes with both airlines.
Passengers also stand to benefit from broader priority services, which will include higher check-in and boarding priority, as well as greater operational coordination between the two airlines, which will mean more favorable connection timings.
Air Canada has since relocated its operations to Terminal 3 at 
Dubai International Airport (DXB), considered the airport’s premier terminal and base of home carrier Emirates. This has allowed its customers to benefit from an improved same-terminal connection and access to other Emirates facilities, such as lounges, if eligible.
Long-Haul Comfort: Inside Air Canada’s Spacious Boeing 787 Dreamliners
The aircraft offers exceptional comfort for passengers.
A Growing Global Network
Since the partnership went live just over three years ago, it has steadily grown to now include 56 routes connecting Emirates customers to 37 destinations in North America, as well as putting Air Canada’s code on 19 routes flown by Emirates to the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. During this period, the two airlines have served more than 550,000 customers, amounting to an average of almost 500 per day.
Air Canada currently flies between Dubai and Toronto with a daily Boeing 787 Dreamliner service, while Emirates operates Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 flights to Montreal and Toronto. Air Canada passengers can access Emirates’ diverse network of over 140 destinations across six continents, while Emirates customers can seamlessly connect to Air Canada’s network of 220 destinations.
|
Emirates |
Air Canada |
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Aircraft Type |
Total |
Aircraft Type |
Total |
|
Airbus A380 |
116 |
Airbus A220 |
39 |
|
Boeing 777 |
129 |
Airbus A320 |
17 |
|
Airbus A350 |
8 |
Airbus A321 |
20 |
|
Airbus A330 |
20 |
||
|
Boeing 737 |
47 |
||
|
Boeing 767 |
8 |
||
|
Boeing 777 |
25 |
||
|
Boeing 787 |
40 |
||
Air Canada and Emirates first announced their strategic partnership in July 2022, starting with a reciprocal codeshare agreement beginning in November 2022, before expanding to additional markets and adding shared frequent flyer perks. It will also expire around the time Emirates is expected to start moving operations to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), Dubai’s second airport, earmarked to become its primary airport in the next decade or so.
