Route Development
Emirates Launches Interline Partnership with Bahamasair to Caribbean
Emirates and Bahamasair begin interline partnership in 2025 connecting Dubai to the Bahamas via US gateways with single-ticket booking and baggage through-check.
This article is based on an official press release from Emirates.
Emirates has officially launched a unilateral interline Partnerships with Bahamasair, the national flag carrier of The Bahamas. Effective December 3, 2025, the agreement allows travelers to book a single ticket from any point in Emirates’ global network to Nassau (NAS) or Freeport (FPO) via United States gateways in Miami and Orlando.
According to the official announcement, the partnership is designed to simplify connectivity for leisure travelers flying from the Middle East, India, and the Far East to the Caribbean. By utilizing Emirates’ existing widebody capacity into Florida, the Dubai-based carrier can now offer customers a linked itinerary to the islands without operating direct flights to the region.
The core benefit of this interline agreement is the consolidation of travel logistics. Passengers can now purchase a single itinerary that covers the long-haul leg on Emirates and the regional connection on Bahamasair. Under the terms of the agreement, baggage can be tagged through to the final destination, theoretically reducing the friction often associated with self-connecting between different airlines.
The partnership utilizes Emirates’ daily Boeing 777-300ER service to Miami (MIA) and its five-times-weekly service to Orlando (MCO). From these Florida hubs, passengers connect onto Bahamasair’s regional fleet. The Bahamian carrier operates a mix of Boeing 737-700s and ATR 72-600s on its high-frequency shuttle routes between Florida and the islands.
In a statement regarding the launch, Emirates emphasized that the collaboration opens up new markets for The Bahamas, specifically targeting high-net-worth travelers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region who previously lacked direct booking options.
This move represents a “capital-light” network expansion for Emirates. Rather than deploying its own metal to the Caribbean, a route that might prove commercially challenging as a standalone direct service, Emirates is leveraging partner capacity to extend its reach. This strategy mirrors similar codeshare and interline arrangements the airline has established with United Airlines, Air Canada, and Copa Airlines to deepen its footprint in the Americas.
For Bahamasair, the agreement provides access to Emirates’ massive global feed. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism has actively sought to diversify its visitor base beyond North America, specifically targeting longer-stay visitors from Asia and the Middle-East. While the interline agreement streamlines the booking process, AirPro News notes a critical operational detail that affects the “seamless” nature of this connection: United States immigration policy.
Unlike major global transit hubs in Europe or the Middle East, United States Airports do not possess sterile international transit areas. All passengers arriving in the US must clear US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and collect their baggage before re-checking it for their next flight, even if the final destination is a third country like The Bahamas.
This regulatory reality creates a significant hurdle for the specific demographic this partnership targets. Travelers from the UAE, India, and many Asian nations, who may not require a visa to visit The Bahamas itself, must still possess a valid US Transit Visa (C-1) or a Visitor Visa (B-1/B-2) to transfer through Miami or Orlando.
The requirement to obtain a US visa, which involves application fees and potential interview wait times, may dampen the appeal of this route compared to transiting via hubs with more lenient transit policies, such as London Heathrow (via British Airways) or Toronto Pearson (via Air Canada). While the flight connection is now technically possible on one ticket, the bureaucratic friction remains high for non-US/Canadian citizens.
The partnership leverages the following operational frequencies:
Travelers can book these itineraries immediately through Emirates’ sales channels and travel agencies.
Sources:
Emirates Activates Interline Agreement with Bahamasair to Connect Dubai and the Caribbean
Seamless Booking and Baggage Connectivity
Strategic Network Expansion
AirPro News Analysis: The US Transit Visa Hurdle
Flight Schedules and Frequency
Photo Credit: Emirates