Inayat-ur-Rahman, Business Editor
Emirates Airline is all set to spread its wings by increasing operations and boosting connectivity across its global network as travel continue to relax after the worst COVID-19 flying restrictions.
This was announced by Dubai-based carrier on Wednesday, adding that the airline is actively responding to the sudden rise in flying demands across its network to make it more comfortable for its loyal passengers to connect to Dubai and beyond through the surging of its operations.
The UAE recently eased entry protocols for 12 countries, and the UK also added the country on its “amber list.”
The airline will be restoring capacity across 29 cities on its network on over 270 flights as well as fine-tuning its schedules to boost frequencies and capacity amid huge demands for global leisure and business travellers.
The airline has resumed passenger services to over 120 destinations, recovering close to 90 percent of its pre-pandemic network.
By October, the Emirates will increase its services to 73 weekly flights to the UK, including a six times a day London Heathrow operation; double daily A380 flights to Manchester, ten weekly services to Birmingham and daily services to Glasgow.
Two pilots walk past at Heathrow Airport. File
From today, Emirates will begin serving London Heathrow with three daily flights, all operated by its flagship A380. Throughout August and September, Emirates will gradually surge its operations to London Heathrow, and by the middle of October, the airline will have restored its operations to six daily flights, of which four will be served by the A380.
The multiple daily flights served by the airline's flagship A380 will provide significant connection opportunities to one of the highest demand leisure and business markets in the world.
Crew members pose for a photograph inside the Emirates Airline plane in Dubai. File
For Emirates customers wishing to travel to the UK, the airline has optimised schedules to create the best connection options from its network, particularly across major cities in Africa like Johannesburg, Cape Town and Lusaka, and in West Asia including Karachi, Islamabad, among other cities. The latest travel requirements to the UK are available here.
Emirates currently flies to 12 cities in the United States on over 70 weekly flights, and will be adding additional frequencies to Houston, Boston and San Francisco over the course of August to accommodate for the seasonal influx of travellers.
Flights to/from South Africa have also been scheduled to allow for convenient connections and additional access to Emirates' four gateways in the UK, as well as Emirates' extensive US network.
As global borders reopen and travel restrictions ease, Emirates continues to expand its network safely and sustainably, matching capacity with demand in line with market dynamics and operating conditions.