Dubai: Emirates will launch services to Basra, Iraq, on February 2 next year, the airline said in a statement. Basra will be Emirates' 110th international destination and the sixth launched in the 2010-2011 financial year.
The service will operate four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, subject to government approval. The flight will employ an Airbus A330 in a three-class configuration, First Class, Business Class and Economy Class, on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and in two classes, Business Class and Economy Class, on Mondays.
"Basra is a significant market for Emirates. The city's recent growth has paved the way for numerous multinational companies and industries to invest in infrastructure and we have seen strong potential from a number of our markets," Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group said.
"Since the 2009 oil field bid, traffic from the US and Europe into Basra has increased significantly and we are ready to capitalise on this growth."
"Our convenient flight times and good connections make Emirates an excellent choice for corporate travellers to Basra," Shaikh Ahmad said.
"It has been a strong year of growth for Emirates and this announcement is further proof of our robust expansion plans."
Well-positioned, close to the oil fields and the Gulf, Basra continues to attract investments from major corporations around the globe. Key inbound markets for Emirates will include oil companies from the US and Europe, as well as the Iraqi diaspora.
Outbound traffic from Basra will be skewed towards local Iraqis. As the economy rebuilds, a large segment of the local population is expected to make use of this new service.
Double deal: e-freight partnership
Emirates SkyCargo, the cargo division of Emirates airline, and DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight forwarder of Deutsche Post DHL, will partner to drive the e-freight agenda across their networks, to become the industry leaders in implementation. Both companies recognise the strategic value of e-freight; working in an electronic environment will bring enhanced operational efficiency and improvement to the supply chain.
Ram Menen, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President Cargo, said: "E-freight is the future of our industry. By reducing paper and carriage of paper on aircraft, e-freight will help to reduce errors and increase accuracy. We believe by collectively engaging we can achieve better and coordinated results."
