Airlines

Emirates and Air Canada Activate Codeshare Partnership to Extend Global Networks and Enhance Customer Experience

Emirates and Gulf Air Launch Codeshare Partnership

Emirates and Air Canada announced the beginning of their codesharing partnership. Customers of the carriers will be able to travel seamlessly to 46 markets across three continents as a result of the partnership, including locations in the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.

Air Canada is adding more international routes as travel demand picks up(Opens in a new browser tab)

Codeshare tickets will be offered for sale to 35 markets beginning on December 1 for travel, with the addition of 11 more markets possible after that, subject to final regulatory approval. Tickets can be purchased through the airlines’ websites at aircanada.com and emirates.com, as well as through significant GDS systems and travel agencies.

Beyond Toronto, Canadian cities like Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver will also be accessible to Emirates customers who wish to book codeshare flights. Customers of Air Canada will also benefit from seamless connectivity when flying to cities in the Middle East like Jeddah and Muscat, Southeast Asian cities like Bangkok, Hanoi, Phuket, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore, as well as African cities like Addis Ababa and Dar Es Salaam.

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The airlines will soon launch a reciprocal frequent flyer programme that will let members of Aeroplan and Skywards accrue and use points on flights run by Emirates and Air Canada, respectively. Additionally, eligible passengers will soon be able to benefit from reciprocal lounge access as well as specific advantages for Aeroplan Elite and Skywards members when flying with the partner airline.

Airlines

S7 Group Begins Fan Blade Production for Western Engine Models

The privately-owned Russian aerospace giant S7 Group has reportedly commenced production of blades for Western-built aero engines at its subsidiary, the Berdsk Electromechanical Plant (BEMZ), located in Novosibirsk.

This development, reported by the Russian aviation publication ATO.ru, marks a significant step for the company amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.BEMZ has started manufacturing composite fan blades compatible with jet turbine engines, including the CFM International CFM56, which powers popular aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 family.

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The technology for restoring blades of gas turbine engines used in Airbus and Boeing aircraft was previously developed by the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and is now being implemented in the production of new aircraft parts at BEMZ.

Currently, BEMZ focuses on producing parts essential for maintaining the airworthiness of civil aircraft. Over the past year and a half, the plant has manufactured approximately 3,500 structural elements and components for replacement on foreign aircraft, which are utilized by airlines such as S7 Airlines, Pobeda, Aurora, and Aeroflot.

The facility is undergoing expansion, with two stages of an investment program totaling 2 billion roubles already completed. These developments are likely geared toward producing blades for the CFM56 engines, which equip more than half of S7’s operational fleet, including 28 Airbus A320-family aircraft and 19 Boeing 737-800s.

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Vasily Yurchenko, CEO of Berdsk Electromechanical Plant, emphasized the shift in focus towards maintaining the airworthiness of the Western-made fleet. The plant has delivered thousands of components to S7 and other Russian carriers since 2022. Notably, according to Russia’s Air Operators Association, 89% of the country’s passengers in 2023 traveled aboard foreign-made aircraft.

Future plans include serious investments to transform the plant into a modern, high-tech aircraft manufacturing facility. In addition to engine blades, BEMZ is also known for producing various spare parts for aircraft, reinforcing its role in the Russian aviation industry as it adapts to new manufacturing needs.