Daily Dublin Service On Way For Kiwis

News Release, 9 September 2011

Daily Dublin Service On Way For Kiwis

New Zealanders will be able to fly direct to Ireland from January next year following Emirates' announcement today that it will begin daily flights to Dublin, marking its first route to the Republic of Ireland.

The daily service, starting on January 9, will leave Dubai at 7am and arrive in the Irish capital at 11.30am (local time). All four Emirates daily services from New Zealand will provide direct connections at Dubai.

"Dublin will be our 29th route in Europe and Emirates' customers in Ireland who currently travel through some of our UK gateways will be able to fly non-stop to our industry leading hub in Dubai and conveniently connect onwards to our broadening route network," said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group. "We see strong potential in Ireland through its industry, technology, tourism and the huge number of Irish nationals living overseas."

Ireland has a population of around 4.5 million, but it is estimated that more than 15 times that live overseas. Key markets are predicted to include Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the UAE..

The republic is a popular tourist destination and last year received 6.7 million visitors, drawn by the rich ancient history, spectacular countryside, traditional Irish music, thousands of miles of scenic coastline and renowned fresh air.

"We are delighted to welcome Emirates Airline to Dublin," said Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) Chief Executive Declan Collier. "The significant improvements we have made to our facilities in recent years, including the opening of a new passenger terminal, was a major factor in helping to win this new business and we look forward to a successful partnership with our newest customer."

The return flight leaves Dublin at 12.55pm and gets into Dubai at 00.25am (local time) the next day. An Airbus A330-200 will be deployed between Dubai and Dublin, offering First, Business and Economy class.

With a fleet of 157 aircraft and the largest A380 operator in the world, Emirates currently flies to 114 destinations in 67 countries.

Emirates services to Basra, Geneva and Copenhagen have already started this year. Flights to St Petersburg begin on November 1, with Baghdad following suit as of November 13. Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires become new links into South America from January 3, 2012.

Caption: The Irish capital of Dublin, to be served by Emirates with a daily service from January 9, 2012.

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