Dubai: Emirates Airline has celebrated its newest connection in Africa with a memorable reception dinner held last night in Conakry, the capital of the Republic of Guinea.

The airline commenced flights from Dubai to the largest city in Guinea on last Sunday.

Several Ministers and senior officials from the Government of Guinea attended the event which was hosted by Hubert Frach, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, West, and Adil Al Gaith, Emirates’ Vice President, Commercial Operations, Northern and Western Africa. Emirates demonstrated its trademark hospitality to over 100 guests from the local business community, key government officials and members of the local Guinean media at the five-star Hotel Palm Camayenne, sited on the city’s Corniche.

“We are honoured by the warm welcome that we have received from the community in Conakry, and the excellent turnout at this evening’s reception is indicative of how positively Emirates is perceived in the local market. The arrival of our first service to Conakry is an exciting development and provides new opportunities for travellers, business owners, tourism and trade,” said Frach.

“Air services are important catalysts for economic growth and we look forward to playing our part in Guinea’s development. Through Dubai, our flights connect seamlessly with other destinations in fast-growing regions such as the Middle East, the Asian Subcontinent, the Far East and Australasia, thereby extending Conakry’s accessibility and reach to capitalise on trade and tourism opportunities from these regions,” he added.

Following the launch of the Conakry route, Emirates will start services to Sialkot in Pakistan on November 5 and Kabul, Afghanistan, on December 4, 2013.

The airline currently operates 206 aircraft to 136 destinations, including the world’s largest Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 fleet.