Dubai, Oct. 29th, 2006 (WAM) - Dubai-based carrier, Emirates,lived up to its reputation of being one of the fastest growingglobal airlines, as it launched services to new gateways in NorthAfrica and India, and added capacity to its existing New Yorkand Zurich routes, all in the span of 24 hours.

October 29th, a big day for Emirates, marked the launch of itsfive weekly flights to Tunis, eight flights a week to IndianIT-hub Bangalore, third-daily service to New York, and second-dailyservice to Zurich.

In all, 27 additional Emirates flights per week will touch downon four of the world's seven continents, starting today. Thenew flights introduced today will offer in excess of 7500 passengerseats and 400 tonnes of cargo capacity.

Emirates is blazing ahead with its ambition of serving 100 internationaldestinations by 2012. Since January 2006, the airline has alreadyadded nine passenger destinations , Abidjan, Thiruvananthapuram,Addis Ababa, Kolkata, Hamburg, Nagoya, Beijing, Tunis, Bangaloreand one cargo-only gateway, Malawi, to bring its network tothe current 87 cities in 58 countries.

A big day is cause for some big celebration. And a big celebrationbrings big cheer to the airline's customers. At Dubai InternationalAirport, where 50 per cent of traffic movements comprise Emiratesflights, passengers today were greeted by traditional Tunisianand Karnataka's Yakshagana dance performers.

The welcome was further sweetened when the airline's award-winningcrew drawn from over 100 nationalities presented check-in passengerswith custom-made Swiss chocolates.

Emirates top management represented by Ghaith Al Ghaith, ExecutiveVice President Commercial Operations Worldwide, Nasser bin Kherbash,Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Africa, and NabilSultan, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations West Asia& Indian Ocean, flagged off the new flights for the day.

Al Ghaith noted: "Air travel worldwide is on a strong growthpath. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecastfor 2006 to 2010 indicates a continued expansion of global airtravel at an average annual rate of 4.8 per cent, with regularboosts brought about by emerging economies like China and India."He added: "An unprecedented economic and tourism boom in theMiddle East is also fuelling traffic growth, with the region'sinternational passenger air traffic expanding at an average annualrate of 6.9 per cent until 2010, outstripping growth in all otherregions. To serve this escalating demand, Emirates too must keeppace and race ahead with its network and capacity expansion programme."