Emirates Partners with Regional Airline in China
Emirates has announced a strategic partnership with Loong Air to enhance its presence in the Chinese market amid growing competition.
Recently, Emirates announced a joint interline agreement with Loong Air, a regional carrier based in Zhejiang.
Some aviation enthusiasts compared the partnership to a collaboration between Sam’s Club and a local supermarket.
This strategy marks Emirates’ shift towards augmenting its foothold in the Chinese market. As competition among China’s four primary hubs—Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen—has become saturated, Emirates operates only a limited number of flights on these routes, restricting room for growth.
Instead of incurring costs for new trial routes to second-tier cities like Zhengzhou or Changchun, Emirates is leveraging Loong Air’s domestic network to test demand effectively.
The interline model is simpler and cost-effective compared to code-sharing as it doesn’t require major system changes or service standardization; it involves basic sales integration.
Last year, Emirates launched a daily flight from Dubai to Hangzhou, its inaugural route with Airbus A350 in mainland China, and it now operates 49 weekly flights to major cities including Hangzhou.
By collaborating with Loong Air, Emirates aims to create a seamless travel experience, where it manages international segments and Loong Air covers domestic connections.
Data from 2025 indicates that Hangzhou Airport processed around 238,000 international transfer passengers, with the number of international transfer routes rising to 30. There lies a market of travelers that Emirates can tap into.
The partnership with Loong Air is a piece of Emirates’ extensive strategy for China, which also includes collaborations with Air China and China Southern, covering over 110 destinations across the mainland.
As competitors like Qatar Airways and Etihad chase the same traveler base, this wide-ranging partnership strategy serves as a defensive maneuver as well.
