Emirates to start codeshare with UK’s Flybe next month

Emirates and the regional carrier Flybe will begin operating a codeshare deal from next month on flights within the United Kingdom and to the tax havens of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

If the new agreement is approved by regulators, Emirates' code will be added to 25 Flybe routes across the country, adding a total of 13 new destinations to its global network.

Passengers flying with Flybe, based in Exeter, England, will be able to connect with Emirates flights to Dubai and beyond from Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham. The airlines are currently targeting a July launch for the new codeshare, Emirates said on Wednesday.

The Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, are designated as offshore financial centres by the IMF and are well known for their relatively high levels of financial secrecy.

Last month, Geoff Cook, the chief executive of Jersey Finance, a non-profit entity founded to market Jersey’s financial industry, was in the UAE to tap into regional demand for offshore investment opportunities in the largest of the Channel Islands. The collective value of alternative funds based in Jersey had grown to £225 billion (Dh1.27 trillion) at the end of the first quarter this year.

Authorities in the Isle of Man, which keeps corporate tax rates at zero, last month accidentally leaked the personal contact details of 500 taxpayers in an email.

On Wednesday, the European low-cost carrier easyJet said it had “no plans” to extend its links with Emirates, Bloomberg News reported.

Follow The National's Business section on Twitter