Five New Routes To Help Emirates 'Go Global'

Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, is adding five new non-stop routes to its fast-growing network from Dubai next year. The move comes hard on the heels of its $15 billion headline-hitting order for new aircraft.

The bold move will help Emirates, founded only 16 years ago, to achieve its aim to become truly global, a transformation to be confirmed in 2003 when it launches its first flights to the Americas, the only continent it does not now serve.

Next year sees the start of services to Osaka, Japan; Khartoum, Sudan; the Indian Ocean holiday island of Mauritius; Casablanca, the commercial capital of Morocco; and Perth, Western Australia, a route first announced earlier this autumn.

Boeing 777 Extended Range jets will serve Perth and Osaka non-stop from Dubai four times a week. Airbus A330s will serve the other routes, three times weekly to each.

Emirates will have 19 A330s in service by next month, making it the world's biggest customer for the aircraft. It has eight more on order, as well as 25 Boeing 777s, 22 double deck Airbus A380s, eight A340-600s and six A340-500s.

Potential customers for the new routes are:

PERTH: UK and European leisure and family travellers, exporters of fruit and vegetables to Europe;

OSAKA: large numbers of business travellers, industrial freight shippers;

MAURITIUS: Middle East holidaymakers, garment exports with the recent easing of US quotas and duty levied on clothing;

KHARTOUM: Strong Sudanese trade links between Dubai and the Far East;

CASABLANCA: Middle East holidaymakers, electronics, fruit and vegetable exporters.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates' Commercial Operations Director, said: "Despite today's challenging business conditions, the long-term future for air travel is for steady growth.

"We expect our own passenger numbers to rise at least in line with this growth -- or exceed it -- thanks to Emirates' ultra-modern fleet, excellent service on the ground and in the air, and attractive fares, holidays and freight rates.

"Dubai airport is undergoing major expansion, a vital step in realising the vision for Dubai of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister. We too are playing our part in this vision, and these five new routes are just a first step."

Emirates placed its massive fleet order after 15 years of profits, earned by an unwavering commercial focus, a tight clamp on costs, and innovative marketing campaigns to offset high fuel prices, fare wars and fierce competition on all routes.

The airline has won more than 200 international awards in its 16-year history. Today its 36 aircraft, on average less than three years old, serve 56 cities in 39 countries. Last year it carried 5.7 million people and 335,200 tonnes of freight, earning a record $114.6m profits.