24 December 2014 04:10 am Views - 26441
Emirates, a global connector of people, places and economies, has announced a t hird daily service to Birmingham Airport, becoming the first airline to offer a direct First Class service to the region.Commencing Saturday, August 1, 2015, Emirates flight EK41, operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, will depart Dubai International Airport at 0235hrs and arrive in Birmingham at 0705hrs. The outbound flight, EK42, will depart Birmingham Airport at 0910hrs and arrive in Dubai at 1910hrs. The additional service adds seven more inbound flights a week to Birmingham, increasing passenger and cargo capacity on the route by 42 percent.
“Stepping up our presence in Birmingham will give customers across our network and across the Midlands, greater flexibility in their travel plans. This is another significant investment in the UK market and we look forward to offering further choice and excellent value for money to travellers and businesses, including the cargo community,” said Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations West Hubert Frach.“As part of our continued commitment, we’re excited to become the only airline offering First Class to the region, with the introduction of our acclaimed First Class Private Suites.”
Emirates started flying to Birmingham in December 2000 when it launched the route with a daily non-stop service, operated by a 278seat Airbus A330. In the 14 years since, Emirates has carried over 4.9 million passengers to and from Birmingham.Passengers flying from the Midlands can travel to Dubai and beyond, to an ever expanding global network. Popular destinations on the Emirates network from Birmingham include Dubai, Australia, India, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong.Birmingham Airport CEO Paul Kehoe said: “Emirates’ decision to add a third daily service to Dubai and beyond from Birmingham Airport clearly shows the strong demand that exists in the city and the region for passengers who want connectivity to Dubai,Asia andAustralia.
“Since the carrier began flying from Birmingham 14 years ago, passengers have been telling us how much they value the route and the excellent service they receive, so today’s announcement is great news for everyone. In addition to increased frequency, this new third service will operate on a three class Boeing 777-300ER, meaning passengers will be able to experience their excellent First Class Suites, the first time it has been offered on this route.”
The new daily service will be operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three class configuration. The added capacity provides eight Private Suites in First Class, 42 Business Class seats and 310 Economy Class seats per day, as well as 23 tonnes of additional cargo capacity per flight. Popular commodities are expected t o i nclude; seafood, clothing, vehicle parts and foodstuffs.All three cabins are equipped with Emirates’ award-winning ice entertainment system with more than 2,000 channels of on-demand entertainment to choose from, including movies, television programmes, games, audio books and music from across the world.
As with all Emirates flights, passengers on the new Dubai to Birmingham services will enjoy the extra generous Emirates baggage allowance of 30kg in Economy Class, 40kg in Business Class and 50kg in First Class. The additional services also provide more opportunities for members of Skywards, the awardwinning frequent flyer programme of Emirates Airline, to earn Skywards Miles on their travel.