Emirates Airline will introduce daily flights to Durban as from December 1. The new service – Emirates’ third direct connection between Dubai and South Africa – underscores its commitment to the South African market, and comes close on the heels of the launch of its third daily service to Johannesburg in 2007 and daily service to Cape Town in 2008.
Durban lies in the heart of KwaZulu Natal, otherwise known as the Zulu Kingdom, and its location on the east coast of South Africa makes it a natural hub for trade with the Indian Ocean and Asia Pacific countries.
Durban is the airline’s 16th passenger destination in Africa. This will accelerate the Dubai based airline’s weekly capacity into the continent to 93 flights.
Tim Clark, president Emirates Airline said, “Emirates is grateful to the Government of South Africa for granting us the permission to launch operations to Durban. I am confident the new service will foster greater business, tourism and cultural exchange, and prove an asset in the growth plans of Durban.”
Emirates will serve Durban with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft offering 27 Business Class and 251 economy class seats. The new addition brings the airline’s frequencies to South Africa to 35 flights per week.