Emirates recently introduced its new Dubai-Seoul service to Korean media and travel partners in Seoul.
The airline’s new daily, non-stop service to the South Korean capital will start on May 1 and will support the strong demand for air links between the two cities as well as boost trade and tourism exchanges between them, according to Ghaith Al Ghaith, executive vice president commercial operations worldwide at Emirates.
“Dubai’s combination of Arabian traditions and ultra-modern infrastructure will be an attractive new destination for Korean travellers,” Al Ghaith said addressing journalists in Seoul recently.
“Dubai’s importance as a growing Middle East commercial hub is attracting strong interest from Korean businesses. Emirates new non-stop services linking Dubai and Seoul will stimulate greater business and tourism flows,” Al Ghaith added.
Emirates’ new daily services from Seoul will provide Korean shippers with over 90 tonnes of cargo capacity a week and speedy air connections to Dubai and beyond. Other than Emirates’ own route network to nearly 80 major cities around the world, there are also over 105 airlines operating out of Dubai, offering both shippers and travellers excellent onward connections to markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa via Emirates Dubai hub.
Emirates has also announced the appointment of Sang Jin Lee to the position of area manager in South Korea. With 20 years of experience in airline, airport and air travel services, Lee will manage Emirates’ operations in Seoul overseeing about 20 local staff in the sales and airport offices.
In preparation for the new Dubai-Seoul service, Emirates recently conducted special training for cabin crew to highlight the nuances of Korean culture and service expectations.
Travellers onboard Emirates’ new Seoul services also can look forward to gourmet menus tailored to Korean palates. The airline currently employs over 220 Korean cabin crew and has plans to recruit even more this year.
Emirates will fly daily non-stop between Dubai and Seoul’s ultra- modern Inchon International Airport. It will operate Airbus A340-300 aircraft in three-class configuration on the route, offering a capacity of 267 passengers and 13 tonnes of belly hold space for cargo.
Flight EK322 will depart Dubai International Airport daily at 0225 hrs, arriving at Inchon International Airport the same day at 1555 hrs. Return flight, EK323, will take off from Inchon the next morning at 0030 hrs and land in Dubai at 0525 hrs, all flight times given are local.
Meanwhile, Emirates is gearing up to launch new services to Alexandria, known as the “Pearl of the Mediterranean”, located in the north of Egypt.
Alexandria will mark the airlines 79th destination on its rapidly expanding network and the second gateway to the country after Cairo, located 150 kilometres away.
From May 15 this year, Emirates will fly daily to Alexandria’s Borg Al Arab Airport. EK 931 will depart Dubai 0910 hrs and reach Alexandria at 1230 hrs. Return Flight, EK 932, will leave Alexandria at 1400 hrs and reach Dubai at 1900 hrs.
The airline will deploy its Airbus A310 aircraft in a two-class configuration with 21 business and 177 sets in economy class. Passengers wishing to return home at a later time can connect via Cairo which departs at 1915 hrs everyday.
Emirates has carefully scheduled services to enable tourists and business executives from the UAE and the GCC states to connect quickly to Egypt, cutting down transit times significantly.
To provide a hassle-free and seamless travel experience, the airline’s business class passengers can enjoy luxurious limo services between Alexandria and Cairo, while economy class passengers will be offered free bus services to Cairo.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates said, “Alexandria has been on our route radar for quite a while and I am delighted to announce the launch of our services to the city.
“We are confident that our ultra-modern facilities and services will help improve trade and tourist between Alexandria and our worldwide network. We are also pleased that our new flights will further serve the substantial Egyptian community residing in the UAE.”
It also marks Emirates 11th destination on the African continent after Cairo, Casablanca, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Nairobi, Lagos, Tripoli and Accra.
The Egyptian getaways destinations of Cairo, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh are extremely popular tourist haunts among the destinations featured in Emirates Holiday’s “World of Choice” brochures.
Cairo was the sixth city on emirates route map, having been launched in 1986 in the second year of the airline’s operations. The airline currently flies eight times a week to Cairo with two flights on Fridays.