Daijiworld News Network – Dubai (VM), pics by Sujay Bendur and Alex Correa
Dubai, Oct 29: Emirates Airline on Sunday Oct 29 expanded its global route network with the launch of services to Tunis and Bangalore. It also added a third-daily service to New York JFK, and a second-daily service to Zurich.
Dubai-based carrier, Emirates, lived up to its reputation of being one of the fastest growing global airlines, as it launched services to new gateways in North Africa and India, and added capacity to its existing New York and Zurich routes, all in the span of 24 hours.
It was a big day for Emirates as it launched off its five weekly flights to Tunis, eight flights a week to Indian IT-hub Bangalore, third-daily service to New York and second-daily service to Zurich. In all, 27 additional Emirates flights per week will touch down on four of the world’s seven continents, starting Sunday. The new flights introduced will offer in excess of 7500 passenger seats and 400 tonnes of cargo capacity.
Emirates is blazing ahead with its ambition of serving 100 international destinations by 2012. Since January 2006, the airline has already added nine passenger destinations – Abidjan, Thiruvananthapuram, Addis Ababa, Kolkata, Hamburg, Nagoya, Beijing, Tunis, Bangalore – and one cargo-only gateway, Malawi, to bring its network to the current 87 cities in 58 countries.
A big day is cause for some big celebration. And a big celebration brings big cheer to the airline’s customers. At Dubai International Airport, where 50 per cent of traffic movements comprise Emirates flights, passengers on Sunday were greeted by traditional Tunisian and Karnataka’s Yakshagana dance performers.
The welcome was further sweetened when the airline’s award-winning crew drawn from over 100 nationalities presented check-in passengers with custom-made Swiss chocolates.
Karnataka NRI Forum had taken initiative to organize yagshagana artistes in Dubai international airport. Speaking to Daijiworld Rajesh Sequeira coordinator of the forum said that it is a great pleasure to make our presence felt and utilize the opportunity to perform yagshagana in the airport. “This is a joyous occasion for all Kannadigas as it adds to the celebration of the first international flight to land in Mangalore. Connectivity to Karnataka has been augmented, he said.
Rajesh further added that forum is trying its best to ensure that there is adequate road connectivity (bus service) from the airport to prominent places like Mangalore and Mysore.
The Yakshagana performers delighted everyone. Chidanand Poojary of Yakshagana Mithraru, Dubai performed in the airport.
Emirates top management represented by Ghaith Al Ghaith, Executive Vice President Commercial Operations Worldwide, Nasser bin Kherbash, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Africa and Nabil Sultan, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations West Asia and Indian Ocean, flagged off the new flights for the day.
Al Ghaith said that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecast for 2006 to 2010 indicates a continued expansion of global air travel at an average annual rate of 4.8 per cent, with regular boosts brought about by emerging economies like China and India. He added “An unprecedented economic and tourism boom in the Middle East is also fuelling traffic growth, with the region’s international passenger air traffic expanding at an average annual rate of 6.9 per cent until 2010, outstripping growth in all other regions. To serve this escalating demand, Emirates too must keep pace and race ahead with its network and capacity expansion programme.”
In celebration of the big day, Emirates has made available a host of consumer offers. To Tunis, Bangalore and New York, special Economy class return fares of AED 1,900, AED 1,100 and AED 2,900 respectively are available to UAE-based customers for outbound travel between October 29 and November 30.
Business and leisure travelers can also embark on a sojourn to Swiss commercial power-house Zurich for a one-time celebratory fare of AED 1,800. The return fare is valid for travel on Economy Class on or before 31st December. Ticketing should be completed by 20th November.
In a separate campaign, UAE customers booking online their Tunis, Bangalore, and New York via Hamburg flights are eligible to be one of four winners to receive a voucher for the value of the ticket. Booking and purchase of the ticket, regardless of class, must be done via www.emirates.ae on or before November 30. Winners, selected through weekly raffles on November 6, 14, 22 and 30, will be notified by email or phone.
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