Emirates unveils major expansion paln for India

New Delhi, July 3: As India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) gear up to take the next quantum leap in bilateral relations with signing of a free trade agreement, Emirates Airline has unveiled plans to implement significant capacity enhancements to Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi and Hyderabad.

Emirates will introduce a third-daily service to Mumbai and a double-daily operation to Chennai starting October 28. The airline will also add three additional flights each to Kochi and Hyderabad over the summer and winter seasons.

In all, the Dubai-based airline will ramp up its India capacity from the current 71 to 85 passenger flights per week to eight Indian gateways.

Emirates will introduce the larger-capacity Boeing 777 aircraft on its existing 19 flights per week Mumbai service and will add two additional frequencies, bringing the total number of flights to 21-per-week or triple-daily.

The Dubai-Chennai service will be progressively stepped up from eight to 11 flights per week by August 1 and propelled further to a double-daily service with the induction of three additional frequencies on October 28. At the start of the winter season, the airline's operations to Chennai will total 14 flights per week. Further reinforcing its footprint in the economically-robust south India, Emirates will operate two additional weekly flights to Kochi with immediate effect and introduce a third extra flight on August 1, taking its total operations to 10 weekly flights.

From October 28, links between Dubai and Hyderabad will also be boosted with three additional frequencies, bringing Emirates' weekly total to 11 flights.

Mr Nabil Sultan, Emirates' senior vice-president for commercial operations in west Asia and Indian ocean, said India is Asia's fastest growing free market economy which is expanding its links with the GCC and forging ahead with joint, multi-billion dollar projects in tourism, commerce and infrastructure.

''Having fuelled strong economic and trade ties between the west Asia and India since the start of its services in 1985, Emirates is well-poised to support India's blistering growth in the 21st century with its efficient, reliable and increased air links.'' The additional frequencies will be operated with Emirates' modern wide-bodied A330-200 and Boeing 777 aircraft in two and three-class configurations. Flight schedules have been planned to maximise morning arrivals in Dubai and seamless onward connections to Emirates' rapidly-expanding 92-gateway global network.

UNI