Emirates double daily takes off from Glasgow Airport
01 June 2012
Glasgow Airport is today celebrating the launch of Emirates Airline’s second daily non-stop flight from Glasgow to Dubai, as well as the introduction of First Class cabins onto the route for the first time.
The new evening service, coupled with an aircraft upgrade on the existing lunchtime flight, increases Emirates’ capacity to and from Glasgow by 47 per cent, with over 1,200 seats now on offer to and from the airport each day. In addition, a First Class cabin has been introduced on both services – the first time this has been offered by a commercial airline from Scotland.
The new flight, EK026, departs Glasgow at 2130hrs and arrives in Dubai at 0800hrs the following morning – ideally timed for onward connections to destinations across Emirates’ global network including Bangkok, Beijing, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Mauritius, the Maldives, Perth and Sydney. The return flight, EK025, departs Dubai at 1450hrs and arrives in Glasgow at 2000hrs.
Since the award-winning airline began operating between Glasgow and Dubai in 2004, it has carried over 1.7 million passengers and over 46 million kilos of cargo to and from the Middle East and beyond.
"Today’s launch of our second daily service and introduction of a First Class cabin demonstrates our ongoing commitment to Scotland and the passengers we serve," said Laurie Berryman, Emirates’ Vice President UK.
"Our Glasgow route has been a real success story, which has been further proven today with both flights departing at almost full capacity. The choice of lunchtime and evening departures now means that passengers and cargo shippers alike can benefit from increased international connectivity to our global network of over 120 destinations directly from their local airport."
Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, welcomed the launch of the additional daily flight and the additional choice which the new three class cabin layout will offer passengers.
He said: ‘This is a huge vote of confidence in the Glasgow city region and it grows our airport’s links with the rest of the world even further. The second daily flight strengthens the close relationship between the two great cities of Glasgow and Dubai for both business and tourism.
"As a major aviation hub, Dubai also enhances Glasgow’s global connectivity at a time when we are growing our trade and tourism links with key markets such as China and India. Crucially, it builds more of the global transport infrastructure that will bring athletes and spectators to Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games. This service has been a big success for Emirates since it launched in 2004 and I know that the second daily flight will add even more to Glasgow’s success story as Scotland’s biggest city."
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Emirates’ plans reflect Scotland’s strong reputation as a first-class destination for business and tourism. With two daily flights into Glasgow from Dubai and over 14,000 seats on offer a year, this announcement further strengthens our connections with key emerging markets in the Middle East and Far East and will provide a further boost to Scottish tourism."
Amanda McMillan, Managing Director of Glasgow Airport, said: "Emirates’ decision to introduce a second daily service to Dubai not only reinforces the airline’s confidence in Glasgow Airport, it reaffirms its commitment to Scotland as a whole. Since its arrival in 2004, Emirates has been one of Glasgow Airport’s biggest success stories. This new chapter in the airline’s long-standing relationship with Scotland will play a crucial role in encouraging export led-growth, attracting further inward investment and supporting tourism, and it is warmly welcomed by everyone at Glasgow Airport."
The new flight is operated by a three-class Airbus A340-300 aircraft, accommodating up to 12 First Class passengers, 42 in Business Class and 213 in Economy Class. The aircraft also possesses a cargo capacity of 13 tonnes.
The existing daytime flight EK027/EK028 has been upgraded to a three-class Boeing 777-300ER with eight Private Suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat beds in Business Class and 310 seats in Economy Class. It also has 22 tonnes of cargo capacity.
In addition to Glasgow, Emirates operates flights from the UK to Dubai from Heathrow (five times daily), London Gatwick and Manchester (three times daily), Birmingham (twice daily) and Newcastle (daily).
For more information visit emirates.com/uk
