LONDON – It’s becoming clearer that the Emirates-United codeshare, which will be announced in September, there is more than meets the eye to this. Welcome to The Editor’s Corner.

The Editor’s Corner is an op-ed series from AviationSource Editor-in-Chief James Field, who is going to give his thoughts (Maybe controversial) on all things going on in the aviation industry.

In case you have missed the last 19, feel free to browse through them before you continue to read this piece:

1. The Editor’s Corner #1: The Industry Isn’t Ready for Summer 2022 Demand
2. The Editor’s Corner #2: JetBlue’s Offer for Spirit Airlines Will Change The American Airline Dynamic
3. The Editor’s Corner #3: Boris Johnson’s Damage To The Aviation Sector is Another Reason for Resignation
4. The Editor’s Corner #4: PLAY Will Transform The Market with a Post-Pandemic Edge
5. The Editor’s Corner #5: Detriment of the Boeing 737 MAX & 787 Is Causing a 777X-Based Aftershock
6. The Editor’s Corner #6: Qantas’ Plans For The Future Will Turn Around Negative Times
7. The Editor’s Corner #7: The P2F Market Is Hotting Up…
8. The Editor’s Corner #8: O’Leary Is Gunning For Another Cheap Boeing Order
9. The Editor’s Corner #9: Ukraine Crisis: Turkish Airlines’ A350 Snap-Up from Aeroflot May Have Something To Do With A Red Carpet…
10. The Editor’s Corner #10 – Ukraine Crisis: Lessors Will Not Win The Russia Battle
11. The Editor’s Corner #11 – Spirit Airlines Are Slowly Changing Their Mind…
12. The Editor’s Corner #12 – The Indian Air Cargo Market Is Hotting Up
13. The Editor’s Corner #13 – Video Footage From RedAir Flight 203 Highlights Dangers of Carrying Luggage During an Evacuation
14. The Editor’s Corner #14 – The Spirit-Frontier-JetBlue Battle for Merger Will Be Remembered As A Mess
15. The Editor’s Corner #15 – Flyr, Norse & Norwegian Have Opportunity to Capitalise on SAS’ Woes
16. The Editor’s Corner #16 – The Airbus & Boeing Battle Will Heat Up At Farnborough
17. The Editor’s Corner #17 – My Predictions for Farnborough Were Well Off…
18. The Editor’s Corner #18 – Why Do Airports & Airlines Fight Over Chaos When Government is to Blame?
19. The Editor’s Corner #19 – Manchester Airport Has Resolved Its Chaotic Period – But Improvements Are Needed…
20. The Editor’s Corner #20 – Ukraine Crisis: Wizz Air Abu Dhabi’s Russia Return Was A Mistake From The Get-Go

More Than Meets The Eye to The Emirates-United Codeshare

The big announcement by Emirates and United Airlines on September 14 is going to be an exciting revelation in the market for U.S-UAE air travel.

It’s clear from this that there is more than meets the eye, as this deal could have future positive consequences later on down the road.

As first revealed by The Air Current, and later expanded on by The Points Guy, this is going to be more than any ordinary codesharing arrangement.

Official Confirmation on September 14…

United Airlines have sent out media invitations already to the press, of which the event is going to take place at the airline’s hangar in Washington Dulles on September 14.

According to The Points Guy, United CEO Scott Kirby and Emirates President Sir Tim Clark will be present at this behemoth of an event.

It is understood this move is being made to take on the codesharing arrangement that has recently been put into place between Qatar Airways and American Airlines.

Therefore, in this instance, it comes as no surprise that United would respond like this, especially with Qatar Airways offering the same connectivity footprint as Emirates.

A Change of Direction by United…

As Ethan Klapper at The Points Guy notes, this decision being made by Scott Kirby is a change of direction compared to actions taken out by previous CEO Oscar Munoz.

Munoz branded Emirates and other Middle Eastern carriers as “international branding vehicles for their countries”, which was mainly the reason why he didn’t want to sign such interlining agreements.

Because of the controversy surrounding Fifth Freedom flights, Munoz later terminated agreements with five carriers in the Middle East.

But, of course, with Fifth Freedom not stopping anytime soon, carriers such as United Airlines and American want to get in on the action and secure what revenue they can.

The Air Current: Potential Star Alliance Move?

As stated by The Air Current, one of Ostrower’s sources mentioned that this announcement is the beginning of Emirates’ relationship with Star Alliance.

Currently, Emirates isn’t in an alliance, and if they were to join the alliance, this would create an interesting shift in the paradigm, and effectively follow the same premise of Qatar Airways with oneworld.

With Emirates’ route network already substantial, this would probably come more of a benefit to the other carriers already in Star Alliance as many carriers can connect onwards.

Emirates, would, of course, benefit from joining Star Alliance as it would give untapped access to several domestic markets across the world that its competitors don’t access at present.

More Than Meets The Eye: A Game-changing Deal?

I personally think that this deal is going to be one to look out for, especially if it means that Emirates could be joining Star Alliance in the near future.

With Emirates also signing a codesharing agreement with Star Alliance member Air Canada last month, it does appear to be the case that a pattern is emerging.

And if that pattern does turn out to be true, then the United & Air Canada codeshares will be the game-changing deal that Emirates is looking for to take their brand further in the sector.

Either way, this is going to be one to keep an eye on, and all eyes will be on Emirates for the future in that regard.

Overall: This Isn’t Going To Be Any Normal Announcement…

This definitely isn’t going to be any normal announcement. This is going to potentially form the foundation of Emirates’ future strategic plans when it comes to interconnectivity.

It’s going to be interesting to see how these plans formulate, as well as what routes Emirates will have access to under the new United codesharing arrangement.

As for United, this is going to provide a lot of benefits when covering destinations they don’t serve themself. And that is going to open up some new markets for the carrier.

But for now, all we can do is sit back and wait for September 14 to come along. And at the rate this year has gone, it’s only around the corner.

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