Dubai-based Emirates, one of the world’s fastest-growing carriers, has announced plans to increase its Indian operation with 18 additional flights per week, effective July 1.

The airline will step up its frequencies to the country’s capital city New Delhi and IT hubs Bangalore and Hyderabad, progressing its Indian footprint to 132 flights per week – the highest ever frequency for an international carrier in the Indian skies.

In time to support the holiday season, the new frequencies will be introduced between July and October 2008.
 
Closely following its recent announcement to introduce a second daily operation to New Delhi, Emirates will introduce four additional weekly frequencies to the capital city, one each on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, starting  July 2.
 
The enhanced capacity – 18 flights per week – will provide corporate travellers smooth connections to international business hubs such as New York, London, Frankfurt, and Paris via Dubai. At the same time it will offer more flight options to North India’s holiday seekers and students travelling to North America, UK, Switzerland and Mauritius.
 
Cargo movement is also expected to gain momentum as the increased capability - over 300 tonnes per week – supports the growing export of garments, meat products, fruits and vegetables, machinery and spares to Middle East, Africa and Europe.
 
Also known as the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore, home to more than 1,600 tech firms, including international heavyweights such as IBM, Intel, Compaq, Infosys, and Tata Consultancy Services, will be served with seven additional weekly frequencies – two of which will be introduced in July and the remaining five in October. Emirates’ increased air links of 15 weekly flights will improve connectivity to North America, a major market for India’s IT exports, estimated to be worth $50 billion.
 
Emirates will progressively increase its Hyderabad service to 18 flights a week by October 1. The additional flights have been timed to provide the city’s business and leisure travellers with quick connections to onward points in Europe and North America.
 
Cargo tonnage will improve by over 70 percent to 246 tonnes a week, offering Hyderabad’s exporters the much-needed capacity to transport pharmaceuticals, engineering spares, chemicals and poultry products to the Gulf, Africa, America and Europe.
 
Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ senior vice president, Commercial Operations, West Asia and Indian Ocean, noted: “Having fuelled strong economic and trade ties between the Middle East and India since the start of its services in 1985, Emirates is well-poised to support India’s blistering growth in the 21st century with its efficient, reliable and increased air links.”
 
Salem added: “The additional flights have been introduced at an opportune time and will support the growing demand for air connections during the summer season as thousands of Indian expatriates head home for their annual holidays.”
 
The additional flights will be operated by ultra-modern Boeing 777 and Airbus A330-200 aircraft in two and three-class configurations, and will inject over 5,900 seats on the Indian routes. - TradeArabia News Service