North America services to get boost with Porter, Emirates deal

Canada''s low-cost carrier Porter Airlines and leading Middle East carrier Emirates Airline have recently signed an agreement that would help travelers from North America and Middle East to connect efficiently in either of the destinations through daily service.

Emirates Airline is presently operating thrice weekly flights to Dubai from Toronto. Media reports said that Porter Airlines will now be able to carry passengers to Washington or Boston from Toronto''s Billy Bishop Airport for onwards journey to Dubai on board Emirates Airline flights.

The reports said that despite the turmoil and rivalry being faced by Middle East carriers such as Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways with their U.S. counterparts like American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, the agreement between Porter Airlines and Emirates Airline will pave the way for expanding air connectivity between Canada and the Middle East.

The three U.S. carriers have accused the Middle East carriers of receiving unfair subsidies from the federal government and have asked the U.S. aviation regulators to renegotiate the treaties that allow the Middle East carriers “”open-skies”” agreements to fly unhindered to the United States.

Seeing constant opposition in the United States, Emirates Airline has now turned to Canada''s Porter Airlines to attract customers from the U.S. Apart from Porter Airlines, other Canadian carriers such as Air Canada and WestJet Airline are also into partnership with Emirates Airline.

Currently, Middle East countries and Canada do not have open skies agreement. Moreover, Canadian carriers have also adopted quite a different approach vis-a-vis their U.S. counterparts.