Dubai national carrier Emirates made a strong presence in Algiers last night with a high profile gala dinner held in celebration of its brand new service to Algiers, which began on March 1.

The airline also plans to start services to Haneda in Japan on June 3 and Clark in the Philippines on October 1.

More than 300 guests from the travel trade and business community gathered for the eagerly-awaited event at Le Chapiteau, Sheraton Club Des Pins Hotel, which featured performances by renowned stars including Mohamed Rouane, Amal Wahbe and BB Blues.  

Speaking at the press conference in Algiers, Adel Al Redha, the Emirates executive VP Engineering and Operations, said "This is a key moment for Emirates in Africa and we would like to thank the Algerian authorities in both the UAE and Algeria for the assistance they have provided in making this new route a reality.”

“We are confident that our new service will play a significant role in supporting the economic growth of Algeria by connecting the nation to our worldwide network, opening new conduits for trade, investment and tourism,” said Al Redha in the presence of senior Emirates executives.

The new flight EK 757 will depart Dubai daily at 8.45am and land in Houari Boumediene Airport at 1.30pm. On return, the flight EK 758, will depart Algiers at 3.35pm and lands in Dubai at 12.55am the next day, said a statement from Emirates.

An Airbus 330-200 aircraft will operate the route in a three class configuration with 12 tonnes of belly hold cargo capacity, it added.

Emirates’ senior VP Commercial Operations for Africa Jean Luc Grillet pointed out that Algeria was home to numerous tourism attractions and an important economic, commercial and financial centre, with a growing GDP.

"We are confident that the new service will be a success providing the most efficient bridge to the Middle East, Asian Subcontinent, the Far East and Australasia," he added.-TradeArabia News Service