Tag Archives: Emirates

Emirates wins the title of  ‘Best Airline’ at the inaugural edition of the Arabian Travel Awards Saudi Arabia 2025. “We are delighted to be named as the ‘Best Airline’ at the inaugural Arabian Travel Awards in Saudi Arabia. Our continued investments in our product and services enables us to deliver on our promise to help our customers truly ‘fly better’ to Dubai and beyond.” Khalid Al Zarooni, Emirates’ Vice President Commercial Operations, Saudi Arabia.

Emirates, the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline, brought its vision of accessible travel to Istanbul through its “Travel Rehearsal” programme, hosting autistic children and their families at Istanbul Airport (IGA). The initiative, which is gradually being rolled out across 17 airports in Emirates’ global network, allows participants with disability to experience every stage of the travel journey in a supportive and structured environment. As part of Emirates’ “Accessible Travel for All” approach, the Travel Rehearsal program aims to make air travel more predictable and comfortable for individuals on the autism spectrum. By familiarizing families with airport procedures and onboard environments ahead of time, the programme helps reduce anxiety and build confidence before an actual flight. Sami Aqil Abdullah, Senior Vice President, Emirates Airport Services Outstation & Business Support, emphasized that accessibility is a core standard across every stage of the customer journey: “Accessible travel is not a single initiative for Emirates; it is a systematic approach embedded into every step of the journey. Through the Travel Rehearsal program, we aim to eliminate pre-flight uncertainty for children with autism and their families, making the airport and aircraft experience more predictable and reassuring. Our Istanbul implementation demonstrates that accessibility is not only about assistance — it is about independence, confidence, and dignity.” Emirates became the world’s first Autism-Certified Airline after more than 30,000 cabin crew and ground staff completed specialized autism awareness training. The program equips employees with in-depth knowledge of the autism spectrum, common misconceptions, challenges faced during travel, and personalized support strategies tailored to individual passenger needs. Highlighting the airline’s ongoing responsibility, he continued: “Accessibility is not a finished goal — it is a commitment that continues to evolve. As the …

Emirates and Loong Air have signed an interline agreement, increasing Emirates’ footprint in China and offering the airline’s customers access to additional cities beyond its own gateways. Starting immediately, Emirates customers will have access to 22 points across China operated by Loong Air via Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The cities span several regions across East, Northeast, South, Central, and Southwest China. The partnership offers customers the simplicity of booking multi-airline itineraries with a single fare, along with one seamless baggage policy and consistent fare conditions throughout their journey. Emirates’ expanded reach in China will further enhance connectivity for leisure and business travellers alike, unlocking convenient access to key domestic hubs including Zhengzhou, Changchun, Haikou, Xiangyang, and Dazhou. Tickets can be purchased on www.emirates.com, Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) and with all major GDS’ via travel agents. Customers booking through Emirates’ official website can also enjoy the convenience of online payment methods such as WeChat Pay and Alipay. The launch of an interline agreement with Loong Air is part of Emirates’ ongoing commitment to the Chinese market. Last year, the airline launched flights to two new destinations – Shenzhen and Hangzhou, and has further enhanced its product offerings by deploying its award-winning Premium Economy on these new routes, in addition to bringing back its iconic A380 on Shanghai flights. Emirates has been operating in the Chinese mainland since 2004. Today, the airlineserves five major cities with 49 weekly flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou using a mix of A380s, A350s and Boeing 777s. In addition to Loong Air, Emirates is also partnered with Air China, China Southern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines, offering customers access to more than 110 points in China …

Emirates has announced the expansion of its operations to Tokyo Narita with the introduction of a second daily service from 1 May, operated by the airline’s retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER. The additional flight, EK320, will depart Dubai at 22:30hrs and arrive in Tokyo Narita at 13:30hrs the following day. The return service, EK321, will depart Tokyo Narita at 21:30hrs and arrive in Dubai at 03:50hrs the following day. All times are local. The second daily flight will provide travellers with greater choice and enhanced opportunities for multi-destination itineraries, including the convenience of a stopover in Dubai. Eastbound passengers on the additional Narita service will arrive in the afternoon, supporting stronger domestic connectivity and shorter connection times from key European and Middle Eastern markets. Westbound travellers departing from Tokyo Narita will benefit from an early-morning arrival in Dubai, enabling seamless onward connections to major destinations across Europe, Africa and South America, including Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Brazil. With the deployment of a refurbished Boeing 777-300ER on flights EK320/321 to Tokyo Narita, Emirates doubles down on its commitment to offer a consistent travel experience for its customers in Japan. The four-class aircraft features upgraded interiors with new design elements, including modern colour palettes, specially designed Ghaf Tree motifs, and wood finishes across all cabins. Travellers will have access to 260 of the latest-generation Economy seats, 24 Premium Economy seats, 40 Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, and eight First Class Suites. The onboard experience is rounded off with a regionally-inspired cuisine featuring Japanese dishes such as Kaiseki meal tray. Travellers across all cabins will also enjoy more than 6,500 channels of on-demand content on Emirates’ award-winning …

Emirates and Marriott International, Inc. signed an agreement to open Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge – a 40-key all-inclusive luxury lodge set to be situated on a 7,000-acre conservancy in Australia’s Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage area. Emirates Wolgan Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Lodge is expected to mark the first Ritz-Carlton Lodge in the world and a major milestone for New South Wales’s (NSW) regional tourism. An expression of the renowned luxury brand, Ritz-Carlton Lodges are conceived as purpose-built sanctuaries in nature, thoughtfully designed to reflect their surrounds while prioritising minimal environmental impact and delivering a heightened sense of luxury, comfort and craftmanship synonymous with The Ritz-Carlton. Anticipated to open mid-2026, the project offers a new benchmark for luxury travel and potential to reinvigorate the region’s tourism offering. Since 2006, Emirates has invested AU$150 million in the Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort, developing the property with deep respect for its environmental and cultural heritage. This has included the careful restoration of historically significant landmarks — such as the original homestead dating back to 1832 — alongside extensive conservation programmes to restore indigenous flora and fauna, including the planting of more than one million native trees across the site. Emirates is now investing an additional AU$50 million in renovations, working in consultation with Marriott to transform the property into a world-class expression of The Ritz-Carlton’s legendary service and refined design, with a deep connection to place. As a reflection of Emirates’ commitment to the location, following the closure of Wolgan Valley Road in 2023, Emirates has maintained the site with a small number of locally employed staff while the property was unavoidably nonoperational. From the resort’s founding, Emirates has worked closely with the …

Emirates and Air Peace have activated a bilateral interline agreement, expanding air connectivity between Africa, the UAE, and London. The agreement offers passengers of both airlines frictionless, single-ticket travel and with through-checked baggage, on select routes, resulting in greater travel comfort and convenience for customers. Beyond the 13 cities in Nigeria* already available for Emirates passengers on Air Peace’s network, the enhanced interline agreement now enables travellers to connect with Banjul in Gambia and Dakar in Senegal, both via Abidjan; and with Freetown in Sierra Leone and Monrovia in Liberia, both via Accra. The additional gateways allow more passengers in Africa to access Emirates world-class product and services, and vast global network. The agreement allows Air Peace to connect its extensive West and Central African route system into Emirates’ hub in Dubai, and on key destinations including London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Stansted, Abidjan, Accra and, of course, Lagos. With huge demand for travel between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, providing Air Peace passengers with increased choice, flexibility, and global reach. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said, “Enhancing our interline partnership with Air Peace allows us to expand our footprint across more of Africa, creating new opportunities for people to fly better with Emirates, while helping international tourists explore more of the region, via Lagos. We remain committed to working with strategic partners such as Air Peace to further strengthen Nigeria’s aviation, tourism and trade sectors.” Nowel Ngala, Chief Commercial Officer, Air Peace, said: “This interline agreement with Emirates represents a major step in Air Peace’s strategic vision to connect Africa more efficiently to global markets. By combining our strong regional presence with Emirates’ extensive international network, …

As part of its ongoing growth strategy in Southeast Asia and commitment to the Philippines, Emirates will introduce four additional weekly flights between Dubai and Manila from 2 April. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Emirates’ flight EK330 will depart Dubai at 12:45hrs, arriving in Manila at 1:25hrs the next day. Emirates’ return flight EK331 will depart from Manila at 3:25hrs, arriving in Dubai at 8:25hrs. All times are local. Flights EK330/331 will be operated by Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER, featuring 8 private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class, and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class. With this expansion, the airline will offer greater choice and enhanced connectivity for corporate travellers, marine customers as well as the large Filipino diaspora across Emirates’ global network, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, United States, Kuwait, Germany, France, Netherland, Switzerland, Turkey, Portugal and South Africa. The new flights also provide shorter connections from and to Canada, United States, as well as the late morning European departures including Milan, London, Budapest and Athens via Dubai. Travellers to and from Manila will benefit from Emirates’ award-winning service and industry-leading products in the air and on the ground across all classes, with regionally-inspired dishes and complimentary beverages and the airline’s ice inflight entertainment system which offers more than 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment in over 40 languages including Tagalog, featuring movies, TV shows, and an extensive musical library along with games, audio books and podcasts. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via both online and offline travel agents as well as Emirates’ retail stores. An Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft can carry up to 20 tonnes of cargo in its bellyhold …

Emirates will launch a daily flight between Helsinki and Dubai from 1 October 2026, expanding its footprint in the Nordics. The new service introduces the only year-round, direct link between Finland and the UAE, and unlocking expanded opportunities for both international leisure and corporate travellers. The service will operate with Emirates’ newest aircraft type, the A350, bringing its latest products and highly acclaimed Premium Economy cabin to Finland, from the inaugural flight. Emirates flight EK167 will depart Dubai at 08:45hrs*, arriving in Helsinki at 14:55hrs*; the return flight, EK168 will depart Helsinki at 16:45*, landing in Dubai at 00:20* the following day. The flight schedule has been optimised to ensure smooth onwards connections, offering convenient access to and from key destinations across East and Southeast Asia such as Bangkok, Phuket, Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, and Taipei; comprehensive connectivity across West Asia and popular Indian Ocean points; African destinations including Cairo, Cape Town and Johannesburg; major hubs across the Middle East and GCC including Damman, Riyadh, Muscat and Kuwait City; and all five Australian cities on Emirates’ network, as well as connections from Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said, “The Dubai-Helsinki route is an exciting expansion on our global network. There is already strong demand between Helsinki and Dubai, with travellers connecting through our other Nordic gateways, so introducing direct, year-round connectivity is a natural next step, making the flight seamless and non-stop, while introducing more premium travel options to market. In addition to better serving current demand, we see potential to attract travellers who may have previously opted for alternative …

Emirates will continue rolling out its retrofitted Boeing 777 and new A350 aircraft to key destinations across Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia, bringing Premium Economy and its latest onboard products to more cities across its network. The airline will deploy its A350 on new daily services to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town, adding an extra frequency and offering customers greater connectivity alongside an elevated onboard experience. Additional frequencies to Copenhagen, Phuket and Cape Town will complement existing schedules and provide much-needed capacity to meet the anticipated surge in summer travel demand. Customers can look forward to Emirates’ award-winning Premium Economy experience, complete with extra legroom and added amenities, elevated dining, and more. The airline will deploy its Premium Economy retrofitted A380, Boeing 777 and A350 aircraft with the latest cabin interiors on more than 84 routes by 1 July, underscoring its focus on delivering a premium and consistent experience across its network. From 1 June, a second daily service will be introduced between Dubai and Copenhagen; a third daily service between Dubai and Phuket and a third daily to/from Cape Town will come into effect from 1 July. All three services will be operated with the airline’s latest A350 aircraft, featuring its award-winning Premium Economy, in addition to the latest Business and Economy Class cabins. From 1 June, Emirates’ flight EK153 will depart Dubai to Copenhagen at 14:50hrs, arriving at 19:45hrs. The return flight, EK154, will depart Copenhagen at 21:35hrs, arriving in Dubai at 5:55hrs the following day.** The new service is optimally timed to provide seamless connections from Copenhagen to popular destinations via Dubai, to East Asia including, Bangkok, Bali, Manila, Tokyo Haneda and Phuket …

Emirates announced that retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft featuring Premium Economy will serve flights EK953/954 between Dubai and Beirut from 6 January 2026 and flights EK306/307 between Dubai and Beijing, starting from 1 February 2026.  Beijing becomes the fourth city in the Chinese mainland to receive Emirates’ latest aircraft and next-gen products, while travellers to and from Beirut will experience the airline’s award-winning Premium Economy and new Business Class cabin in 1-2-1 layout for the first time. For Lebanon’s capital city, EK953 departs Dubai at 1540hrs, arriving in Beirut at 1700hrs, with the return EK954 departing at 1945hrs and arriving in Dubai at 0050hrs. ** The schedule offers seamless connections to and from major cities with significant Lebanese diaspora communities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane as well as New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Miami and Montreal. Customers can enjoy a consistent Premium Economy experience across both legs of their journey, with many of these cities being served by retrofitted Boeing 777s and A380s featuring the airline’s latest interiors. Emirates’ flight EK306 departs Dubai at 3:20hrs, arriving in Beijing at 14:45hrs. The return flight EK307 takes off from Beijing at 00:40hrs, landing in Dubai at 5:30hrs. ** Travellers can enjoy a consistent Premium Economy experience from Beijing to popular destinations across Emirates’ global network, including London Heathrow, New York JFK, São Paulo, Johannesburg, Madrid, Malé and Lisbon, as well as key cities in the Gulf region such as Kuwait, Riyadh and Amman. The refurbished four-class Emirates Boeing 777 features upgraded interiors with new design elements, including modern colour palettes, specially designed Ghaf Tree motifs, and wood finishes across all cabins. Each aircraft includes 260 of the latest-generation Economy seats, 24 Premium Economy seats, …