Emirates Network Blooms With Addition Of Amsterdam

News Release, 4 December 2009

Emirates Network Blooms With Addition Of Amsterdam

New Zealand travellers to Holland will have a stylish new way of getting there from next year following Emirates’ announcement that it is to launch flights to Amsterdam on May 1.

The international airline of the UAE is also promising further new route announcements in the coming months, supported by continuing aircraft deliveries. Amsterdam will become Emirates’ 23rd passenger destination in Europe.

The daily, non-stop service from Dubai will be operated with a combination of Boeing 777-200LR and 777-300ER aircraft, boasting a three-class configuration and the newest version of Ice, Emirates’ award-winning in-flight entertainment system. Emirates, with its exquisite private suites, will be the only airline offering First Class on the route.

This is the fourth new destination to be announced this year by the Dubai-based carrier. Durban and Luanda were both launched in October and Tokyo was recently announced with a start date of March 28, 2010.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce a new service into Europe at this time and I'm sure it's a development that will be welcomed with open arms in The Netherlands."

All four daily Emirates flights from New Zealand will connect with the daily service to Amsterdam.

Flight EK 145 will leave Dubai each day at 8.25am and arrive in Amsterdam at 1.30pm local time. From Amsterdam, EK 146 departs at 3.30pm, arriving in Dubai at midnight local time.

The new European service comes on the back of exclusive lounge openings in Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Manchester and extra frequencies to Rome, building up to a double daily in February.

During December, Emirates will take delivery of two further Airbus A380 superjumbos, which will be deployed to Seoul from December 14 and Paris two weeks later. The daily services from New Zealand will connect with the A380 to Paris at Dubai.

Last month, the carrier announced half year net profits of US$205 million, representing a 165 percent increase compared to US$77 million for the period ending September 30, 2008. During the latest results period, the airline carried over 13 million passengers, in excess of 700,000 tonnes of cargo and made an estimated direct contribution of US$2.72 billion to the UAE economy.

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