Emirates is to run a second daily non-stop flight to Dublin from September 1, 2014.
The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will add capacity of more than 5,000 seats a week in both directions. The new daily service will complement Emirates' Boeing 777 operation that commenced in January 2012.
Emirates said timings had been scheduled to facilitate more effective onward connections from Dubai to major destinations in Australia and New Zealand, with shorter journey times into Auckland, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The second service will feature 360 seats in a three-class configuration - eight seats in First Class, 42 in business and 310 in economy. Flight EK163 will leave Dubai at 4pm to reach Dublin at 8.50pm. The return flight EK164 will depart Dublin at 10pm, and will arrive in Dubai at 8.55am the next day.
"Air travel is indispensable for tourism and trade, the major engines of Ireland's resurgent economy. Emirates' expanded schedule will offer better connectivity for our customers when travelling between Dublin and Dubai and onwards to the rest of our network, increasing access to emerging markets and encouraging investment and innovation. There is a clear traffic flow taking place from Dublin to a number of destinations in our network, therefore boosting connections makes business sense," said Tim Clark, president of Emirates airline.
More than 440,000 passengers have travelled on the Dubai Dublin service since the route commenced two years ago. Tourism Ireland estimates that average growth rates from Asia & Middle East passenger traffic to Ireland by 2020 will be more than six per cent. Middle East traffic grew by three per cent just after the launch of the first Dublin service in 2012, according to the same source.
© 7Days 2014
