Service to extend to Auckland, New Zealand on May 1
DUBAI, UAE - Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, will soon boost services to Sydney, Australia and Bangkok, Thailand, with additional flights.
From March 29, Emirates will introduce an extra thrice-weekly service from Dubai to Sydney via Bangkok. Initially operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the airline will increase this to a daily service from May 1.
On May 1, Emirates' new Dubai-Bangkok-Sydney daily service will also be extended to Auckland in New Zealand, replacing the current Dubai-Sydney-Auckland daily service which will then terminate in Sydney. This move opens up new connections between Bangkok and Sydney, and Bangkok and Auckland.
Emirates will fly its Boeing 777-300 aircraft in three-class configuration on the Dubai-Bangkok-Sydney-Auckland route, offering 18, 42 and 320 seats in first, business and economy classes respectively, plus 23 tonnes of bellyhold space for cargo.
Said Ghaith Al-Ghaith, Emirates' Executive Vice President for Commercial Operations Worldwide: "Bangkok and Sydney are key commercial and tourism centres in their respective countries. Demand for passenger and cargo capacity into and out of these two cities has remained constantly high, and we are confident the additional capacity from our new service will be welcomed by both travellers and shippers alike."
He added: "With this service, shippers and travellers will have a new air connection between Bangkok and Sydney, and when the route is extended to Auckland in May, it would also open another air travel option between Thailand and New Zealand."
The new service will increase Emirates' flights between Dubai and Bangkok from twice daily to three-a-day by May. It will also add to the airline's current daily non-stop service between Dubai and Sydney, bringing the total number of Sydney flights to twice daily. Emirates will continue to fly to Auckland thrice daily.
Meanwhile, two weeks ago, Emirates officially opened its dedicated airport lounge for passengers in Auckland, New Zealand.
New Zealand's Minister for Communications, David Cunliffe, performed the official honors at the inauguration event hosted by Gary Chapman, President Dnata and Associated Companies, of the Emirates Group.
Simply called "The Emirates Lounge", the luxurious new facility at Auckland International Airport will cater to Emirates' premium passengers in First and Business class, as well as Gold members of its Skywards frequent flyer programme. The award-winning airline's NZ $2 million (AED $5 million) investment in the lounge reflects its dedication to providing consistently high standards of service throughout the customer's entire travel experience.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates, said: "We are delighted to offer our New Zealand travellers this new level of service. The Emirates Lounge is another way in which we can ensure that our passengers enjoy the unique Emirates experience even before they board their flight."
He added: "Emirates is investing nearly AED $50 million to develop our own airport lounges at key destinations around the world, providing our premium passengers with a luxurious sanctuary to rest and refresh during their travels. Auckland is our second destination to have this facility, after Brisbane. In the coming months, we plan to unveil a further ten lounges around the Emirates network."
Spread over 365 square metres, The Emirates Lounge at Auckland Airport is designed to first-class specifications and fittings. It is divided into three distinct areas including a dining room, lounge area with satellite TV viewing, and a business centre with private work stations equipped with broadband and wireless LAN. The lounge also offers full male and female shower facilities plus a bathroom accessible for passengers with disabilities.
Passengers will enjoy an extensive menu of both hot and cold dishes accompanied by full bar service, including French champagne, as well as Emirates' trademark attentive service from dedicated lounge staff.
These lounge facilities are available to Emirates' First and Business Class passengers as well as Gold members of Skywards, Emirates' frequent flyer programme.
Emirates Airline operates 28 flights a week between Dubai to New Zealand. It currently flies daily to Christchurch via Melbourne, and offers thrice-a-day services into Auckland via Sydney, Melbourne, and Singapore-Brisbane.
By Observer Staff
© Yemen Observer 2005
