KUALA LUMPUR: Emirates expects to expand its network reach to more than 1,490 cities worldwide through its codeshare agreement with Batik Air Malaysia.
Emirates senior vice-president commercial operations (Far East) Orhan Abbas said that Malaysia is an important destination in the company’s Far East network.
“We are pleased to offer increased connectivity and more options for our customers to new and exciting destinations.
“We look forward to working closely with our partner Batik Air on offering even better choices and more convenient experiences for travellers,” he said in a statement.
Emirates and Batik Air tied up through a codeshare agreement that will allow Emirates’ customers to access five domestic Malaysian cities and three regional South-East Asia points operated by Batik Air via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Emirates will place its code on Batik Air-operated flights to Penang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi, Johor Baru, Denpasar, Jakarta and Singapore.
As such, customers are expected to have a seamless travel experience as they can connect to new destinations using a single ticket with convenient baggage policy.
Moreover, Emirates’ customers will also be able to stop over in Kuala Lumpur before proceeding to their final destinations.
The airline will also gain access to eight additional destinations operated by Batik Air via Kuala Lumpur for interline transfers.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the partnership between Emirates and Batik Air presented numerous opportunities to travellers worldwide.
“We are pleased with the partnership, which has the potential to strengthen Malaysia’s role as a prime gateway to the region.
“We hope to see an increase in KLIA traffic, especially to facilitate connectivity to regional destinations,” he said.
Batik Air group strategic director Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy said the collaboration would provide Emirates’ travellers with the opportunity to explore new destinations in Malaysia and South-East Asia apart from amplifying Batik Air’s network connectivity.
“We are proud to be part of this strategic alliance, further expanding our footprint and offering flexibility and convenience to our valued passengers.
“This partnership underscores our commitment to excellence and we look forward to welcoming travellers from around the world to experience the unique blend of Emirates’ and Batik Air’s services,” he said.
Emirates operates 21 weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur with a mix of Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft.
The airline has 30 codeshare, 11 intermodal and 118 interline partners, including a longstanding partnership with Jakarta-based Lion Air Group and its subsidiaries Batik Air Indonesia and Batik Air Malaysia.
