Warsaw: Emirates has extended its presence in eastern Europe by starting a daily non stop flight to the Polish capital Warsaw. The carrier’s first flight landed at 10.20 am local (Poland) time on Wednesday, making Warsaw its 129th international destination.

With the UAE already the single-largest Middle Eastern trading partner in Poland, reaching nearly Dh1 billion annually, this new service is expected to further enhance economic ties between the two countries.

“Today’s launch is a significant one not only for Emirates but also for Poland. This new service will enable direct links into Poland, facilitating travel for tourists and traders from East Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Stimulating trade and driving demand for not only our services, but the new destination is an integral part of our growth strategy and we see Warsaw as an important part of this,” said Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group.

An enabler for trade, Emirates SkyCargo will offer an average of 210 tonnes of belly-hold capacity per week on the new service. Key exports from Poland include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and electronic products; while some of the main imports are machinery, sporting goods, medical equipment, electrical equipment and leather products.

Emirates’ flight EK 179, an Airbus A330-200 aircraft, will take off daily from Dubai at 0730hrs and land in Warsaw at 1045hrs – served by a 237 seat Airbus A330-200 in a three-class configuration. The return flight EK180 will depart Warsaw at 1350hrs arriving in Dubai at 2215hrs the same day. Emirates’ daily flight to Warsaw, operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft, is the first international service to offer First Class seats in Poland.

“This is truly an important day and a great honour for Warsaw Chopin Airport to have an Emirates aircraft on our tarmac,” said Michał Marzec, Director of Warsaw Chopin Airport. “Emirates’ presence in the region enhances our airport’s prestige and importance as a regional hub. Passengers from Poland and Central Eastern Europe will benefit from the launch of the direct air services to Dubai as well as convenient onward travel to India, Asia, Australia and Africa.”