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EMIRATES GRANTED
ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS TO AUSTRALIA
DUBAI, U.A.E.,
22nd March 2007 – Emirates Airline has been granted
rights to operate additional flights into Australia, after the successful
negotiations between the governments of Australia and the United Arab
Emirates.
Emirates will gradually
increase its frequency to the four cities it currently serves –
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth – and the new
agreement will allow Emirates to grow its services from 49 flights a
week to 84 flights a week between now and 2011. This will mark an
increase of 71 per cent in its services to Australia.
HH
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive,
Emirates Airline & Group, said: “We thank the Australian
Government, airport authorities and the other key stakeholders for
their support of our long-term commitment to Australia. Emirates would
also like to thank the UAE government for their efforts to conclude
these negotiations successfully. While we are yet to finalise our
roll-out plan and schedules, our additional flights will boost
tourism, trade and business between Australia and the Middle East, and will provide Australian
exporters an extensive network of markets
globally.”
With its hub in Dubai, Emirates
is in a unique position to connect passengers and cargo east and
west as well as north and south of the equator. Australia is an important tourism and
trade market for its customers worldwide and Emirates has been
actively growing its services to the country since the launch of its
operations to Australia in 1996.
Emirates currently serves
Australia with
double dailies to Sydney, Melbourne
and Perth and a daily flight to
Brisbane. In the last
decade, the airline has welcomed over two and a half million
passengers on its Australian flights. Emirates is a key player in
Australia's
multi-billion dollar trade relationship with the United Arab Emirates and the
Middle East region.
Emirates has invested over A$1
billion in Australia in the last
decade, including a dedicated Emirates Lounge in each of its four
destinations in the country. The airline sponsors some of the most
high-profile sports events such as the Emirates Melbourne Cup,
Emirates Western Force, Collingwood Football Club, and the
Australian Jockey Club; and the symphony orchestras in Sydney, Melbourne and Western Australia. Emirates also
sponsors Cricket Australia and the prominent Fly
Emirates branding can be seen on the sleeve of the Australian team
currently playing at the World Cup in the West
Indies.
The airline has also invested over A$65
million in the Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa in New South
Wales.
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