newswatcher
24th Jan 2003, 07:49
From the UAE "Gulf NEws(24/1):
"Emirates airline will add a record 11 new aircraft and increase seating capacity by 25 per cent this year, according to Sheikh Ahmed bin Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of the group. He said: "Today's news is merely the first stage of a major make-over for the entire airline to ensure we keep our customers coming back to us again and again.
"We will have a fleet of 56 aircraft by March 31, 2004, a dedicated Emirates terminal at Dubai International Airport opens in 2005 and the first of our 22 double-decker A380s arrives in 2006. We have won more than 200 major awards — and are resolved to win many more."
Emirates, founded in 1985, is now among the world's six most profitable and 20 largest international airlines. The expansion will allow the carrier to start four new routes during the period and add more flights on existing routes.
Daily non-stop Emirates flights from Dubai to Sidney are to start from October 26 with the first deliveries of the ultra long-range Airbus A340-500. This will cut travel time to Australia's major city considerably, not only from the UAE but from gateways in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. That same day, October 26, the airline will launch daily wide-bodied Boeing 777-300 services to Brisbane via Singapore, giving it its fourth Australian route after Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
Sheikh Ahmed said Emirates plans to start services to Moscow from July 1, to Shanghai from August 2 and to Lagos (subject to government approval) from December 1.
In a total revision of its current timetable, Emirates will start double daily services from Dubai to Munich from March 31, to Teheran from May 1, to Manchester from June 1, to Muscat from July 1, and to Hong Kong from October 26.
From this autumn, the first A340-500s will also serve Osaka, Japan, four times a week and will allow Emirates to serve London Gatwick three times a day.
Among many other frequency increases are three extra flights to Nairobi, Kenya, from March 30, bringing the total to 10 a week and rising to double-daily by July 1.
Many other destinations will also enjoy extra flights.
And next year it will take the final step forward in its global expansion by launching services to North America. Airbus A340-500s will start non-stop flights to New York from April 1, 2004, and to San Francisco from summer 2004.
For the past three years Emirates has worked on a secret project to develop new First Class seats. Details are only now starting to emerge, but they "will re-benchmark industry standards", appearing on Emirates' A340-500s from September.
Business Class seats on these aircraft will also be greatly improved, and in-flight entertainment in every cabin on the A340-500 will undergo a major upgrade, in Economy as well as in First and Business Class.
New Routes:
* Daily non-stop Emirates flights from Dubai to Sydney from October 26
* Daily wide-bodied Boeing 777-300 services to Brisbane via Singapore from October 26
* Flights to Moscow from July 1
* Flights to Shanghai from August 2
* Flights to Lagos (subject to approval) from December 1.
* Flights to New York from April 1, 2004
* Flights to San Francisco from summer of 2004."
"Emirates airline will add a record 11 new aircraft and increase seating capacity by 25 per cent this year, according to Sheikh Ahmed bin Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of the group. He said: "Today's news is merely the first stage of a major make-over for the entire airline to ensure we keep our customers coming back to us again and again.
"We will have a fleet of 56 aircraft by March 31, 2004, a dedicated Emirates terminal at Dubai International Airport opens in 2005 and the first of our 22 double-decker A380s arrives in 2006. We have won more than 200 major awards — and are resolved to win many more."
Emirates, founded in 1985, is now among the world's six most profitable and 20 largest international airlines. The expansion will allow the carrier to start four new routes during the period and add more flights on existing routes.
Daily non-stop Emirates flights from Dubai to Sidney are to start from October 26 with the first deliveries of the ultra long-range Airbus A340-500. This will cut travel time to Australia's major city considerably, not only from the UAE but from gateways in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. That same day, October 26, the airline will launch daily wide-bodied Boeing 777-300 services to Brisbane via Singapore, giving it its fourth Australian route after Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
Sheikh Ahmed said Emirates plans to start services to Moscow from July 1, to Shanghai from August 2 and to Lagos (subject to government approval) from December 1.
In a total revision of its current timetable, Emirates will start double daily services from Dubai to Munich from March 31, to Teheran from May 1, to Manchester from June 1, to Muscat from July 1, and to Hong Kong from October 26.
From this autumn, the first A340-500s will also serve Osaka, Japan, four times a week and will allow Emirates to serve London Gatwick three times a day.
Among many other frequency increases are three extra flights to Nairobi, Kenya, from March 30, bringing the total to 10 a week and rising to double-daily by July 1.
Many other destinations will also enjoy extra flights.
And next year it will take the final step forward in its global expansion by launching services to North America. Airbus A340-500s will start non-stop flights to New York from April 1, 2004, and to San Francisco from summer 2004.
For the past three years Emirates has worked on a secret project to develop new First Class seats. Details are only now starting to emerge, but they "will re-benchmark industry standards", appearing on Emirates' A340-500s from September.
Business Class seats on these aircraft will also be greatly improved, and in-flight entertainment in every cabin on the A340-500 will undergo a major upgrade, in Economy as well as in First and Business Class.
New Routes:
* Daily non-stop Emirates flights from Dubai to Sydney from October 26
* Daily wide-bodied Boeing 777-300 services to Brisbane via Singapore from October 26
* Flights to Moscow from July 1
* Flights to Shanghai from August 2
* Flights to Lagos (subject to approval) from December 1.
* Flights to New York from April 1, 2004
* Flights to San Francisco from summer of 2004."