Emirates trade press release

Trade press release from Emirates

Emirates to start services to Christchurch
Friday, 2 April 2004



Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, yesterday
announced
that it will fly to Christchurch from 10 June, marking its second
footprint
in New Zealand after Auckland, which joined the Emirates route network
in
August last year.

The new connection to Christchurch will be an extension of the
upcoming Dubai-Melbourne non-stop service, which Emirates will operate
with
the ultra long-haul A340-500 aircraft. Initially flying three times a
week,
the service will double to six times weekly on 1 August.

This means that Emirates will offer a total of 27 flights a week
to
New Zealand by August. The airline presently flies to Auckland daily
via
Sydney, daily via Singapore and Brisbane, and daily via Singapore and
Melbourne.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of
Emirates
Group said: "Emirates is happy to offer yet another exciting
destination to
our passengers. Our Christchurch service will provide excellent
connections
for New Zealand passengers travelling to Australia, and onward to
Europe,
Africa or Middle Eastern cities via our Dubai hub. Similarly, it will
bring
our customers from other parts of the world another speedy and
convenient
route to New Zealand."

Sheikh Ahmed noted that New Zealand is an increasingly popular
destination for leisure travellers from Europe and the Middle East.
The
largest city in New Zealand's South Island, Christchurch offers a
multitude
of options for outdoor and sporting activities amidst a backdrop of
scenic
mountains, rivers, lakes, and beaches.

"Christchurch is the gateway for outdoor and adventure tourism
in New
Zealand's South Island, and we anticipate our new service will cater
to this
growing demand," he added.

George Bellew, Chief Executive for Christchurch International
Airport
Limited said: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome Emirates to
Christchurch. This service brings Christchurch to within one stop of
what
can be described as Europe's most easterly hub."

"Dubai is one of the dynamos of the Middle East, and Emirates is
already one of the world's leading airlines, with a strong reputation
for
service and quality. We are very much looking forward to the
inauguration of
Emirates' services in June," he added.

Emirates' new service to Christchurch will also offer cargo
belly
capacity to exporters in New Zealand's South Island, and provide a
convenient air link to connect their businesses to Australia, the
Middle
East and points beyond.

From 10 June, flight EK406 will depart Dubai on Tuesdays,
Thursdays
and Saturdays at 1010 hours, arriving in Melbourne at 0530 hours the
next
day. It will then fly onward to Christchurch at 0715 hours, touching
down at
1230 hours. Return flight EK407 will take off from Christchurch on
Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 1805 hours, landing in Melbourne at
1945
hours. From Melbourne, the flight will depart for Dubai at 2130 hours,
arriving in 0540 hours the next day. All flight times indicated above
are
local.

From 1 August, the Dubai-Melbourne-Christchurch service will
operate
six times weekly, departing Dubai from Mondays through Saturdays.

The A340-500 aircraft which Emirates will use on this new route
carries 12 First Class, 42 Business and 204 Economy passengers, and 14
tonnes of cargo. Emirates has taken delivery of four A340-500s, with
four
more on order.

The airline has invested US$1.8 billion in its fleet of
A340-500s to
ensure that its long-haul passengers travel in maximum comfort. The
aircraft
boast several innovations including the world's first enclosed suites
in
First Class; mood lighting which help ease jetlag; and an inflight
entertainment system with over 500 channels - three times as many as
rival
airlines.

Emirates currently operates to 74 destinations in 52 countries.
In
addition to Christchurch, Emirates will be launching the following new
services this year: Budapest (cargo only), Shanghai (passenger
flights),
Glasgow, Vienna, and New York (passenger flights).





--
Tony Bailey
Mercury Travel Books
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