EMIRATES ADDS FLIGHTS TO SYDNEY VIA BANGKOK - in English

[cmro Emirates]

FEBRUARY 2, 2005

EMIRATES ADDS FLIGHTS TO SYDNEY VIA BANGKOK



Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, will soon boost services to Sydney, Australia and Bangkok, Thailand, with additional flights. From 29th March, 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 1st May.

On 1st May, the 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 travelers and shippers alike.” He added: “With this service, shippers and travelers 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.

EK418 will depart Dubai International Airport at 09:00hrs, arriving in Bangkok at 18:10hrs, before flying onward to Australia at 19:50hrs, to land in Sydney at 07:45hrs the next day. From 1 May, the service will extend to Auckland in New Zealand, departing Sydney at 09:15hrs and arriving in Auckland at 15:15hrs.

Return flight EK 419 will take off from Sydney at 18:45hrs, arriving in Bangkok at 01:00hrs the next morning. The flight will then depart Bangkok at 02:30hrs to arrive in Dubai at 05:35hrs on the same day. From 1 May, the return service will start in Auckland, departing 15:50hrs and arriving in Sydney at 17:15hrs. All flight times given above are local. Timings are subject to change of schedule.

Furthur details, contact us at media.relations@emirates.com