Emirates Airline set to boost Flights to Pakistan

Emirates Airline said on Monday that it was strengthened its commitment to Pakistan by adding a fifth daily flights to Karachi and from the city of Karachi. 

Effective August 1, the airline will be operating to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi five times a day.

The Dubai carrier said the move reinforced its presence in the Pakistani landscape and provided passengers with "more flexibility and options" when travelling to the country's commercial hub.

It added that it planned further improvements to its services to Pakistan in the future.

"This is very exciting news for us as Karachi was the inaugural destination of Emirates when the airline began operations in 1985," said Badr Abbas, vice president Pakistan & Afghanistan, commenting on the development.

"Today we are proud to have announced a fifth daily flight to Karachi in a move to better serve our Pakistani passengers and strengthen the historic relationship between Pakistan and UAE.

"We hope to continue on this path by further expanding our services in Pakistan and are grateful to all the relevant government and aviation authorities for making this possible."

Karachi is known as the financial capital of Pakistan and the additional flight will also boost economic activity by providing increased cargo capacity for popular Pakistani exports to many destinations on Emirates' global network.

In the past six months, Emirates said it has experienced robust growth and increased its presence in Northern Pakistan by starting additional flights to Peshawar, Lahore and Islamabad.

Starting August, Emirates will be operating 54 weekly flights to and from four cities in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar – of which two frequencies are subject to Government approval.

Emirates introduces Airbus A340 on Accra-Dubai route

Mr Manoj Nair, Emirates Regional Manager for West Africa, has said the airline has introduced an Airbus A340-500 to its Accra –Dubai route to underline the airline’s commitment to Ghana.

He said the aircraft update which was effective February 13, 2012 would “offer travelers from West African markets seamless connections to the Far East, Middle East, Indian subcontinent and Australia, via Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport”.

Mr Nair, in a statement released in Accra on Monday, said the demand for Emirate’s flights to Accra had been steadily rising and that the introduction of the A340-500 would give customers an even better experience when they traveled on the Accra-Dubai route.

He said “our customers will now enjoy the very latest Emirates in-flight products, including our multi award-winning ice entertainment system. Additionally, First Class passengers will experience Emirates’ ergonomically-designed private First Class suites, featuring privacy screens for maximum exclusivity and massage-enabled seats which convert into flat beds. Our Business Class customers will experience angled lie-flat beds and those traveling in Economy Class will enjoy the comfort of generously-sized seats”.

The statement said Emirates, one of the world’s fastest-growing international airlines, serves Accra daily, with an A340-500 aircraft offering 12 First Class Private Suites, 42 seats in Business Class and 204 Economy Class seats and employs more than 130 Ghanaian nationals in a variety of roles across the Emirates Group, including 75 cabin crew.

It said the aircraft also has a total of 13 tonnes of cargo-carrying capacity. EK 788 departs Accra at 1845hrs and lands in Dubai at 0630hrs. EK787 leaves Dubai at 0740hrs and arrives in Accra at 1240hrs.

It said customers in all cabins can enjoy Emirates’ professionally selected wines, spirits and beverages, as well as fresh, locally-sourced dining options prepared by gourmet chefs and served by the airline’s multi-national cabin crew. Passengers can also lose themselves in more than 600 channels of on-demand entertainment, including 50 new movie releases, more than 20 movie classics and 20 children’s films.

Emirates has already launched new routes to Rio, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Lusaka, Harare and Dallas in 2012 would follow with Seattle on March 1, Ho Chi Minh City on June 4, and Barcelona on July 3, 2012.

Emirates Airline discounts offer up to 30 per cent

Emirates airline has announced a three-day sale offering customers discounts of up to 30 per cent to select destinations across its network.

The Emirates airline intends to maximise available seats on its flights to these destinations during this ‘slow’ period and is hoping that more travelers will take unplanned trips to avail of this offer.

“With less money spent on their flight, our passengers will have more to spend on the ground, perfect for an impromptu trip away,” said Khalid Bel Jaflah, Emirates Vice-President Commercial Sales UAE.

Available on selected return economy and business class tickets to 40 international destinations, the sale is valid for booking from today, Tuesday the February 7th, until Thursday, February 9, 2012.

According to a statement by Emirates, some of the most popular destinations included in this offer are expected to be: London, Dallas, Zurich, Beirut, Bangkok, Karachi, Paris and Mumbai. A number of Emirates’ newest destinations are also included in the offer such as Dallas, Seattle, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

“Whether travelling for leisure or business, our three-day sale provides customers with the opportunity to reach their desired destination for less,” added Bel Jaflah. To avail of this offer, outbound travel must commence on or before 10th June 2012.

Emirates eyes direct flights to Ugandan capital

Emirates Airline said on Tuesday it is planning to launch direct flights to Uganda from March.

To date, Emirates’ Entebbe route has been operated as a linked service with Addis Adaba but it will start direct services to the city from March 25, the airline said in a statement.

“As demand for our Entebbe service continues to grow, customers can now enjoy the convenience of a non-stop air link with Dubai," said Jean Luc Grillet, senior vice president of Commercial Operations for Africa.

“Entebbe is an important market for Emirates in the East African region and we are dedicated to ensuring our customers have access to the highest service standards both in the air and on the ground,” added Grillet.

Emirates will operate an Airbus A330-200 on its Entebbe routes.

With a fleet of 168 aircraft, Emirates currently serves 20 destinations in the African continent, with new services to Lusaka, Zambia and Harare, Zimbabwe starting next month.

Zambia and Zimbabwe, which share a border with the Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, will be linked with a five times weekly flight from Dubai, starting from February 1.

Emirates Airline launches direct flight to Vietnam

Emirates Airline, a leading international carrier of the United Arab Emirates, announced the launch of a direct flight to Ho Chi Minh City, starting June 4 this year.

Ho Chi Minh City will be the 124th destination among 68 countries serviced by Emirates Airline.

The carrier will use Airbus 330-200 and Boeing 777-300 ER aircrafts for its flights to Vietnam. Presently it has a fleet of 168 aircrafts, including A380, the world’s largest commercial airplane. Trade between Vietnam and UAE exceeded US$24 million in 2010.

Emirates launches flights from Dubai to Dublin

Emirates Airline' first flight between Dublin and Dubai has launched today.

The route, which started on Monday, is served by a three-class A330-200. EK0161 departs Dubai at 07.00 and arrives at Dublin Airport's Terminal 2 at 11.30, with EK0162 departing Dublin at 12.55 and landing in Dubai at 00.25 the next day.

Irish and Gulf states passengers, who for years have had to transit Heathrow or other major European hubs, now have a choice of carriers between the two destinations.

Etihad Airways currently offers 10 flights per week from Dublin to Abu Dhabi, with a mixture of morning (09.20) and evening (20.55) departures from Ireland.

Reports have been recently circulating that Etihad is considering the purchase of a 25% stake in Aer Lingus, although the Irish government and Etihad have played down the story.

An Etihad spokesman said: "We never comment on speculation of this nature, except to say that we talk regularly and frequently to many airlines and a range of other businesses from all over the world about issues and opportunities."

Special air fares on new services to South America with Emirates

Emirates has launched a daily non-stop flights to Rio de Janiero and onwards to Buenos Aires from 3 January 2012, offering special fares to customers from Malta flying to Buenos Aires in Argentina and to Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

The special airfares are inclusive of taxes and start from €846 to Rio de Janiero, €850 to Buenos Aires and €856 to Sao Paulo. The offer is valid for travel until 31 March 2012.  Terms and Conditions apply.

Brazil has been part of the Emirates network since 2007 when Emirates began flights from Dubai to Sao Paulo. The new service to Buenos Aires and Rio de Janiero will open new markets in tourism, trade and investment between South America and Emirates worldwide network of over 100 destinations.

The Dubai-Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires service will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offering eight First Class Private Suites, 42 lie-flat seats in Business and 304 seats in Economy. Over 1,200 channels of entertainment on demand on "ice", the airline's award-winning in-flight entertainment system, are available to passengers.

EK 247 will leave Dubai daily at 0705hrs and arrive at Rio's Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport at 1535hrs. It will depart Rio at 1720hrs, arriving at Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Ezeiza) at 1930hrs. From Buenos Aires, EK 248 departs at 2130hrs, arriving in Rio at 0120hrs the next day. The aircraft will depart Rio at 0255hours, arriving in Dubai at 2235hrs.

Emirates starts flights to Melbourne and Tokyo

Emirates said, it has welcomed its 20th Airbus A380 to its rapidly expanding fleet by announcing Melbourne and Tokyo as two new destinations for its flagship aircraft in 2012.

Melbourne joined the Emirates network in 1996 and the airline now operates three daily flights from Dubai, one non-stop, one via Singapore and the other via Kuala Lumpur. The A380 will operate as EK406, the non-stop flight from Dubai to Melbourne and on to Auckland from 1st October 2012.

Melbourne's A380 service will be Emirates' second A380 operation in Australia and New Zealand, following the introduction of the aircraft on the Dubai-Sydney-Auckland route in 2009.

In 2012, Emirates will be celebrating its tenth year of services between Dubai and Japan, and its third year of operating to Narita International Airport. Demand on the Dubai-Tokyo route has continued to grow, prompting the need for the daily service to be operated by an A380 from 1st July 2012.

Emirates' A380 service to Tokyo will operate as EK318 departing Dubai at 0250hrs and arriving at Narita International Airport at 5:35pm the same day. The return flight of EK 319 departs Narita at 2200hrs and touches down in Dubai at 0415hrs the following day.

"This announcement demonstrates our commitment to the Far East and Australasian region, as Emirates takes delivery of its 20th Airbus A380 aircraft," said Richard Jewsbury, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East and Australasia.

"Emirates not only offers a world-class in-flight experience but a superior global network. The announcement of enhanced services into Melbourne and Tokyo comes as we introduce flights from Dubai to Dublin, our 29th European destination and Dubai to Buenos Aires, via Rio de Janeiro, our latest South American destinations," added Jewsbury.

Emirates took delivery of its first A380 in July 2008 and since that date the number of A380 destinations on the Emirates network has grown and will reach 17 on 1st January 2012 with the addition of Kuala Lumpur.

Set in a three-class configuration (14 First, 76 Business and 399 Economy Class seats), the Emirates A380 offers a level of comfort and space never seen before on a commercial airliner. Spread over two levels, the entire upper deck is dedicated to Premium Class passengers.

Emirates' A380 currently operate services from Dubai to London Heathrow (double-daily, triple daily from 24th January 2012 and four times a day from 25th March 2012), Manchester, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Rome, Munich, Toronto, Seoul, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Jeddah, New York, Hong Kong, Sydney, Johannesburg and Auckland. From 1st January 2012, the A380 will be deployed on the Kuala Lumpur route.

Emirates boosts A380 flights from London to Dubai

UK travellers planning to catch flights to Dubai next year will have more opportunities to travel on the Airbus A380 with Emirates.

Shortly after announcing that it will deploy the world's largest passenger plane on a third daily service from London Heathrow to Dubai from 24 January 2012, the carrier has confirmed that a fourth A380 connection will be available on the route from 25 March.

In both cases, the Airbus plane will replace the Boeing 777 in order to carry more passengers from the UK airport, where airline expansion is limited by capacity constraints.

The move will make Emirates the largest operator of the A380 at Heathrow.

Salem Obaidalla, the Middle Eastern carrier's senior vice president of commercial operations in Europe, said: 'This demonstrates the beauty of the A380 - its ability to increase our service to our passengers in style and without adding traffic to London Heathrow's busy schedule.'

Emirates will also be expanding its presence in Dublin next year with the launch of a new daily service to Dubai from the city on 9 January.

Emirates to launch Rio de Janeiro flights

Dubai-based Emirates airline will launch daily services to the 2014 Fifa World Cup host city of Rio de Janeiro from January 3, 2012.

The new direct service to Rio de Janeiro, with an onward extension to Buenos Aires, will provide seamless connections to Emirates’ network of more than 100 destinations worldwide, a statement from the airline said.

Over 800 guests from the government, travel industry and wider business community attended a gala celebration at Pier Maua where they were given the opportunity to see the Fifa World Cup Trophy, which was on display at the event.

“As Emirates’ second Brazilian gateway, our new Rio de Janeiro service will add extra impetus to the vibrant Brazilian economy, boosting tourism and underpinning the city’s status as a leading hub for business and trade, particularly within the oil and gas industries,” said Thierry Antinori, executive vice president, passenger sales worldwide.

“Emirates anticipates strong demand for both leisure and business travel to Rio de Janeiro, especially as Brazil will host a series of world-class events over the next few years, including the 2013 Confederations Cup, the 2014 Fifa World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, said Antinori. “As a partner of the 2014 World Cup, Emirates is proud that we have a role to play in making the tournament a success, and we look forward to bringing football fans from across our global network to this not-to-be-missed event.”

“This new Emirates flight to Rio de Janeiro is a big win as it will feed global traffic into the city, boosting tourism and creating new opportunities for trade between this market and numerous emerging economies,” said Rodrigo Solano, manager of markets and business, Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.

Rio de Janeiro, also known as the ‘Marvellous City,’ is renowned for its spectacular natural setting. The city, which is home to Sugar Loaf Mountain, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches as well as the famous Maracana Football Stadium, receives more visitors than any other city in South America, welcoming an estimated 2.8 million international tourists each year.

The new service will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, arranged in a three-class configuration, offering eight first class private suites, 42 lie-flat beds in business class, and a spacious cabin in economy class with 304 seats.

Passengers can enjoy the latest version of Emirates’ multi award-winning ice entertainment system, which offers over 1,200 channels of movies, TV shows and music, including Portuguese language versions and Brazilian and Latin American music.