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Tag: Emirates

  • Emirates and Air Peace sign interline agreement, expanding travel choices to 13 cities in Nigeria

    Emirates and Air Peace sign interline agreement, expanding travel choices to 13 cities in Nigeria

    Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has signed an interline agreement with West Africa’s largest airline, Air Peace, enhancing connectivity for passengers travelling to and from Nigeria. The partnership expands Emirates’ footprint to 13 new cities in Nigeria with frictionless single-ticket travel and simplified baggage throughput.

    Travellers booked on flights from Dubai to Lagos can access more of Nigeria, with onward connections to Asaba, Akure, Benin City, Calabar, Enugu, Ilorin, Kaduna and Owerri. The interline agreement will also benefit corporate travellers, connecting to additional cities in one of Africa’s major economic hubs, including its capital city Abuja, Kano, Uyo, Port Harcourt and Warri, further supporting the strong bilateral trade relationship between Nigeria and the UAE.

    Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said, “Emirates is a steadfast partner of Nigeria’s tourism, trade and aviation sectors. This partnership with Air Peace is the next step on this journey, bolstering our connectivity and introducing more travel options for corporate leisure, and travellers visiting friends and family to and from Nigeria. We look forward to deepening our strategic partnership with Air Peace in the future to enhance the benefits for our mutual customers.”

    Oluwatoyin Olajide, Chief Operating Officer, Air Peace said,”We are excited about this strategic interline partnership between Air Peace and Emirates, which is a significant step towards enhancing global connectivity for Nigerian travelers.  It aligns with our mission to provide seamless, world-class travel experiences while expanding our route network and international reach. This collaboration not only expands Air Peace’s international reach but also offers Nigerians arriving from Dubai seamless access to key domestic destinations, including Asaba, Akure, Benin City, Calabar, Enugu, Ilorin, Kaduna, and Owerri. By improving ease of travel, we are boosting business, tourism, and trade opportunities, further strengthening economic ties between Nigeria and the UAE. This partnership also reinforces Nigeria’s aviation sector by enhancing connectivity, efficiency and positioning our country as a critical hub for regional and global travel. At Air Peace, we remain committed to providing greater connectivity, convenience, and world-class service for our passengers.”

    Emirates’ Dubai-Lagos route is operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering the best experience in the sky. Passengers can dine on regionally inspired multi-course menus and a wide selection of premium beverages, while enjoying over 6,500 channels of global entertainment, including 23 Nigerian movies, in addition to series and other content on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system. As one of only two airlines operating First Class into Lagos, the partnership enables more travellers from Nigeria to experience Emirates’ unrivalled experience with luxurious touches, defined by comfort and privacy.

    Air Peace, Nigeria’s leading airline, provides seamless connections domestically and internationally, via a fleet of aircraft, comprised of Airbus 320s, Boeing 737s, Boeing 777s, Dornier 328-300 Jets, Embraer 145s, and Embraer 195-E2s.

    Emirates offers near-unrivalled global connectivity, which is further amplified by its extensive partnership network. In Africa, the airline’s footprint expands to over 223 regional points through 5 codeshare and 19 interline partners, providing better connection opportunities to both holiday destinations and emerging economic centres on the continent.

    Customers can book their travel now on emirates.com, Emirates Retail Stores, the Emirates app, and preferred travel agencies.

  • Emirates advances fleet availability with investment in Airbus Skywise S.FP+ and Core X3 digital predictive maintenance solution

    Emirates advances fleet availability with investment in Airbus Skywise S.FP+ and Core X3 digital predictive maintenance solution

    – Airline will leverage platform’s real-time data capabilities on all its Airbus A380s and A350s for better levels of efficiency

    As part of its commitment to operational excellence and safety through strategic fleet management, Emirates has signed an agreement with Airbus for the implementation of its Skywise Fleet Performance+ (S.FP+) advanced predictive maintenance and fleet health monitoring solution and Core X3 analytics platform. The agreement was signed by Ahmed Safa, Head of Emirates Engineering and Laurent Negre, Vice President, Customer Services Airbus Africa and Middle East.

    The adoption of Airbus’s cutting-edge S.FP+ solution is set to further improve aircraft dispatch reliability while enabling strategic data-driven decision-making for Emirates’ fleet of commercial Airbus A380 and A350 aircraft. Using the platform’s advanced capabilities, Emirates Engineering teams will be able to monitor real-time aircraft performance and health data, identify potential issues inflight, and determine maintenance actions during turnarounds.

    Ahmed Safa, Head of Emirates Engineering said: “As a highly efficient, customer-centric operation, Emirates is always looking at ways to leverage leading-edge technologies that improve operational reliability and punctuality, minimise unscheduled downtime and ensure our fleet operates at the highest standards, ultimately elevating the customer experience. Adopting Airbus’s Skywise Fleet Performance+ is a step forward to support our Airbus fleet, harnessing the latest advancements, and transforming traditional maintenance activities into streamlined, precision led processes that optimise our time in the skies.” 

    Laurent Negre, Vice President Customer Services Africa and Middle East at Airbus said: “We are proud to strengthen our collaboration with Emirates through the implementation of Skywise Fleet Performance+ and Core X3. These solutions will enhance fleet performance and reliability, reduce downtime, and support operational efficiency passengers will benefit from, too.”

    Skywise Fleet Performance Plus features automated pre-departure monitoring of cabin temperatures, operations, and key systems, powered by advanced analytics.

    The platform also integrates Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) data for critical aircraft monitoring, delivers predictive diagnostics with real-time alerts and solutions, and provides comprehensive status insights for Emirates’ Airbus A380 and A350 fleets. The integration of the Core X3 analytics platform will help Emirates Engineering to manage vast amounts of data, connecting different systems for single source, up-to-the-minute insights through an enhanced user interface that can be intuitively used by multiple teams.

    Emirates Engineering has long used aviation analytics and operational insights to maximize fleet availability while driving cost and network efficiencies. The airline is currently employing advanced digital technologies to accelerate improvements in maintenance operations, in addition to next generation prognostic and predictive maintenance. Work is in progress to deploy drone assisted aircraft inspections. Emirates Engineering is also exploring avenues to use virtual and augmented reality for maintenance tasks.

  • Arsenal Host Aston Villa in Premier League Showdown on Showmax

    Arsenal Host Aston Villa in Premier League Showdown on Showmax

    Arsenal continues their push for the Premier League title on Saturday when they host Aston Villa at the Emirates airing live on Showmax. Fresh from a 2-1 victory over rivals Tottenham, the Gunners are in second place and eager to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool.

    Aston Villa arrive on the back of a gritty 1-0 win against Everton. While their season has been inconsistent, Unai Emery’s men will aim to disrupt Arsenal’s momentum and secure a vital win.

    Liverpool, who sit comfortably at the top, face Brentford in a tricky away fixture. Both teams were held to midweek draws—Liverpool by Nottingham Forest (1-1) and Brentford by Manchester United (2-2). The game is also available for live streaming. Fans can stream the Reds’ bid to extend their lead live on Showmax for just 3,200 naira monthly.

    On Sunday, Manchester United host Brighton after finally breaking their losing streak with a 3-1 win over Southampton. Amad Diallo’s stunning hat trick helped lift United to 12th, and Ruben Amorim’s side will now aim to build momentum and push for a European spot.

    Chelsea, winless in five games, face Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Monday. Their latest disappointment was a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, leaving them fifth in the table. A win is essential for the Blues to stay in the top-four race.

    Tottenham’s woes continue as they travel to Everton, desperate to end a five-game winless run. Ange Postecoglou’s side sits in 15th, and anything short of victory will deepen their struggles.

    Elsewhere, Newcastle host Bournemouth, hoping to extend their impressive form to seven straight wins, while Manchester City visit Ipswich in what could be a routine win for Pep Guardiola’s men after their disappointing draw against Brentford in midweek.

    Catch all the Premier League matches live on Showmax. Sign up for the Showmax Premier League mobile plan for just N3,200 at www.showmax.com.

  • Emirates hosts travel agents workshop, ahead of relaunch to Nigeria

    Emirates hosts travel agents workshop, ahead of relaunch to Nigeria

    This week, Emirates hosted key stakeholders from Nigeria’s thriving travel trade industry for a workshop to showcase its latest products and services, as well as provide a destination update on Dubai, as the airline gears up to restart operations from 1 October. With key travel agents in attendance, the workshop demonstrates the importance of Nigeria on the airline’s vast global network.

    Through interactive workshop sessions, Emirates familiarized attendees with the products and services that will be available on the soon-to-resume flight to/from Lagos, empowering them to provide even better services to their customers. The airline also highlighted its full-service offerings including gourmet and regionally-inspired dining, the award-winning in-flight entertainment system, ice, and the exceptional hospitality from its multinational Cabin Crew. Emirates Holidays, the airline’s tour operator arm, exhibited the curated holiday packages both to Dubai and other in-demand destinations such as the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and South Africa, in preparation to serve the pent-up travel demand from Nigeria.

    Attendees also heard from key stakeholders representing Destination Dubai, to provide a macro view at what travellers can expect when travelling to and through the UAE. Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) representatives offered a closer look at the abundance of tourism and trade opportunities in Dubai; the Dubai Stopover Experience team highlighted some of the must-see attractions; the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) outlined the city as a leading medical tourism destination; and Dubai Visa Processing Centres provided a closer look at how to apply for UAE visas, both for tourists and those transiting the city. The information packed sessions at the Emirates Airline Travel Agency Workshop demonstrate the airline’s commitment to reinstating seamless and premium travel between Nigeria, the UAE and beyond, powered by Emirates.

    Paulos Legesse, Country Manager for Nigeria, Emirates said, “Our travel agency partners are core to our success and we have built strong and prosperous relationships over the years, driving greater tourism and travel links between Nigeria, the UAE and beyond. As we prepare to restart operations to Lagos, this workshop was essential not just to showcase our world-class product and service to these important partners, but also to hear from the wider industry on the latest services that will suit customer demand, enabling us to better tailor our offering in Nigeria. We have exciting plans and can’t wait to add our industry-leading products and services to the Nigerian market from 1 October.”

    In addition to preparing travel agents for the airline’s return, Emirates has reinstated previous tier status levels for Skywards members to ensure continuation of earned benefits and recognition. Skywards, Emirates award-winning loyalty programme, offers four tiers of membership – Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum – with each tier enabling exclusive privileges, including: complimentary seat selection, priority check-in and boarding, excess baggage allowance, lounge access, and complimentary Wi-Fi internet on-board.

    Emirates services to Lagos, Nigeria will relaunch on 1 October, 2024.

  • Emirates, IATA and Airbus launch an enhanced A350 type rating conversion course for pilots

    Emirates, IATA and Airbus launch an enhanced A350 type rating conversion course for pilots

    Emirates, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airbus have joined forces to deliver an enhanced Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) programme for the A350 type rating, as the airline prepares for the delivery of 65 A350s from mid-2024. An initial cohort of 256 pilots will be trained as part of the new course at Emirates’ Training college in Dubai starting from July 2024.  

    The advanced pilot training programme uses the CBTA training methodology that combines IATA’s principles and documentation with Emirates’ operational expertise and resources, and Airbus’ CBTA training experience on the A350 that spans over 10 years.

    Driven by pilot competency and behaviour, the A350 CBTA programme utilises the proven CBTA training philosophy that  allows instructors to assess the pilots training and seek immediate improvements in their performance. The programme will run in two phases and will include 20 days of simulator training and evaluation in 15 separate sessions.

    “With this programme, Emirates’ pilots receive in-house competency-based training with highly qualified instructors, equipping them with world-class capabilities to support the airline’s global operations. The tailored CBTA programme for the A350 supports the integration of the new aircraft to be inducted into our fleet, with 1,000 pilots set to complete the A350 type rating course. This latest initiative is part of Emirates’ commitment to deliver the highest standards of service and comfort while supporting our operational growth and expansion,” said Capt. Bader Al Marzooqi, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Flight Training.

    “Combining the expertise of Emirates, Airbus and IATA to design and deliver A350 type rating training is a unique opportunity. Our joint aim is to fully utilize the benefits of CBTA to qualify the pilots on the A350 in the most efficient and effective way possible. And by doing it together all three organizations will also gain valuable experience that can strengthen their other training activities,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security.

    “The A350 is a state-of-the-art aircraft, which requires equally advanced training solutions. Our partnership with IATA and Emirates ensures that Emirates’ pilots receive the most comprehensive and effective training, supporting the smooth entry-into-service of the A350 worldwide,” said  Capt Stéphan Labrucherie, Airbus Head of Flight Training Worldwide.

    The A350 type rating programme is one of the ways Emirates is prepping the entry of its new A350 into service. Along with pilot training, other parts of the airline are also working on preparing for the debut of A350 operations including Service Delivery and Engineering teams, among other departments.

    CBTA and IATA

    Gaining the benefits and efficiencies of CBTA training is a longstanding industry objective. For flight crew, IATA is supporting this with its CBTA Guide for Flight Crew Training, which is fully aligned with ICAO CBTA standards and includes specific libraries for Airlines/Operators and Training Organizations.

    IATA also focuses on CBTA training in support of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. The IATA CBTA Center supports organizations across the aviation industry, including operators, Civil Aviation Authorities, and training organizations, in developing the capabilities and resources for dangerous goods training programs. It also offers CBTA training specialized for various airline functions from ground handlers, to passenger agents, load planning, crew and others.

  • Emirates named Global Airline Partner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and title partner of the Emirates NBA Cup

    Emirates named Global Airline Partner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and title partner of the Emirates NBA Cup

    …Emirates’ global sponsorship portfolio includes partnerships with top sporting clubs, tournaments, high-profile cultural events, and more

    NBA In-Season Tournament Renamed Emirates NBA Cup; Emirates Becomes First-Ever Referee Jersey Patch Partner of the NBA.

    Emirates and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a multiyear global marketing partnership naming Emirates the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA.  The collaboration also makes Emirates the inaugural title partner of the NBA Cup, previously named the NBA In-Season Tournament, as well as the first-ever referee jersey patch partner of the NBA.

    As the first title partner of the Emirates NBA Cup, the global airline will be featured through a co-branded Emirates NBA Cup event logo, with co-branded promotion planned across the NBA’s global social media community and in-arena signage throughout the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinal and Championship games starting next season.

    The Emirates logo will also be featured on all NBA referee jerseys, starting with the 2024 NBA All-Star Game taking place on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET (Monday, Feb. 19 at 3 a.m. CAT) on ESPN and Canal+. 

    “We are proud to establish a global marketing partnership with the National Basketball Association to become its Official Global Airline Partner,” said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive.  “This collaboration will also see Emirates become the league’s first referee jersey patch partner and the inaugural title partner of the NBA Cup.  With basketball’s popularity around the world, we are excited to work with one of the most globally recognized and prestigious professional leagues.  The NBA is a valuable addition to our sponsorship portfolio as it allows us to connect with a vast global fanbase, including in the U.S., where the game is an integral part of the country’s sport culture.”

    “Emirates is a world-class airline that shares our commitment to engaging fans around the world in new and creative ways,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, Mark Tatum.  “As basketball continues to be recognized as the fastest growing sport globally, this collaboration will showcase the excitement of the NBA to the millions of people who fly Emirates every year.”

    The sponsorship will also allow Emirates to enjoy a presence at other marquee league events, including as a partner of NBA Crossover – an immersive fan event at NBA All-Star – and as the presenting partner of the NBA Finals Legacy Project, which features the dedication of new NBA Cares Live, Learn, or Play Centers in each NBA Finals team market.  Emirates branding will also be visible through virtual in-arena signage and on top of the backboard during nationally televised NBA games, beginning with the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

    Emirates will engage NBA fans around the world as a partner of select preseason and regular-season NBA Global Games and through the league’s interactive fan events, including “NBA District” and “NBA House.”

    Fans will have the opportunity to watch NBA content on all Emirates flights via the airline’s inflight entertainment system, including long-form documentaries, player profiles, interviews and more. 

    The marketing partnership will also allow basketball fans to purchase a wide range of official NBA merchandise, including basketballs, sportswear and vintage collectibles, with co-branded collaborations to follow later this year.  The merchandise will be sold at the official Emirates Store at Emirates’ Headquarters in Dubai and online at www.Emirates.store, which delivers worldwide.  Emirates Skywards members can also redeem Miles to purchase items from the exciting range.

    Emirates’ patch will also be featured on the jerseys for all referees in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), beginning with the 2025 season, and NBA G League, the official minor league of the NBA, beginning with the 2024-25 season.

    The 73rd NBA All-Star Game will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana and reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages on television, digital media and social media.

    Emirates has been a longstanding supporter of basketball in the region for almost 30 years, helping to connect with avid fans of the popular sport in the UAE and Lebanon, and providing a platform to highlight the best and brightest stars.

    Emirates’ global sponsorship portfolio includes partnerships with top sporting clubs, tournaments, high-profile cultural events, and more.  Emirates’ association with NBA will support the airline’s efforts to reach a huge fanbase in the U.S. and worldwide through a shared passion for the sport of basketball. 

    Emirates currently offers services to 12 U.S. gateways, including Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD), Seattle Tacoma Airport (SEA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Miami International Airport (MIA) and Orlando International Airport (MCO).

  •  Emirates reveals ‘most watched and listened to’ content in the sky that is a wrap for ice 2023!

     Emirates reveals ‘most watched and listened to’ content in the sky that is a wrap for ice 2023!

    As a busy year of international travel draws to a close, the world’s largest international airline is revealing how passengers spent their time in flight, delving into data to dissect what exactly Emirates customers watched and listened to on journeys to and from 140 destinations around the world.

    Most watched movies on ice in 2023

    Customers craving top notch entertainment are spoilt for choice with Emirates ice, offering more than 6,500 channels of on demand movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, and even live TV to catch the international news and sport. From the expansive 2,000 plus Hollywood and international movies available, and all the best movies of 2023, amongst the most watched movies by Emirates customers around the globe were; visually stunning sci-fi film, Avatar: The Way of Water, Ticket to Paradise – a rom-com starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and the enduringly popular action movie Top Gun: Maverick. Long haul customers across the world also settled into box sets of movies, such as The Lord of the Rings complete trilogy and all four of the John Wick films.

    After English language content, the top viewed international movies include two Bollywood action movies, Vikram Vedha and Bholaa, the French thriller, La Syndicaliste, Korean drama Return to Seoul, and the 2023 Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Anatomie d’une chute from France. Arabic speakers tuned into Emirati film Khorfakkan – depicting the 16th century invasion of the city.

    Kids and perhaps kids-at-heart, tuned into a myriad of movies with the most popular choices in 2023 noted as Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Tom & Jerry Cowboy Up! Teen Titans Go! & DC Superhero Girls and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

    Most binged box sets and TV on ice in 2023

    On long flights, Emirates customers loved to binge a box set, with exceptionally high viewership recorded for all seasons of HBO Max’s Succession and both seasons of The White Lotus. Within the comedy genre, Emirates customers showed a preference for beloved sitcoms – Friends, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Big Bang Theory, while in drama – many travellers selected two historical dramas The English, and Women of the Movement, as well as suspense-filled drama Your Honor starring Bryan Cranston.

    Trending TV in the Kids and Teens section included Schooled! – a sitcom set in the 90’s and the renowned SpongeBob SquarePants, while younger kids tuned into Australia’s Bluey and Hey Duggee and Supertato from the UK.

    On Emirates ice live TV channels including Sport 24, BBC World News, CNN and Sky News Arabia, customers tuned into an array of sports and social events including the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Formula 1® races, NFL Superbowl, English Premier League, Augusta Masters, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Rugby World Cup 2023, Wimbledon, DP World Tour and the US Open Tennis. The single most watched sports on Emirates live TV in 2023 was the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

    The tuneful tastes of Emirates customers in 2023

    From a library of over 3,000 albums, more than 500 curated playlists, over 40,000 tracks and more than 4,000 hours of music and podcasts – Emirates’ customers showed their sophisticated sides with one of the most popular albums on ice revealed as Mozart’s Chamber Music. Ed Sheeran’s album Subtract was also in the top three, but unsurprisingly the top spot was scooped by the indomitable Taylor Swift and her album Midnights. Kids couldn’t get enough of ice Juniors Music with Cocomelon, Bluey, Kidzbop, and the Encanto soundtrack holding the top spots. The most popular playlists onboard Emirates’ flights included the Arijit Singh Playlist, ABBA’s Timeless Pop Anthems and the Best of Fairuz and Khaleeji Classics. In Global Music, the top trending regions customers accessed were India, Korea and Africa, with the most listened artists places held by Jimin from Korea, Burna Boy from Nigeria and SB19 from the Philippines. Some audiophiles went for content beyond music and showed love to the Rain, Sleep & Nature Sounds Playlist while relaxing at 40,000 feet.

    Emirates customers embrace Happiness & Wellbeing content

    Catering to every mood and personality, Emirates ice also provides a dedicated area for Happiness and Wellbeing content which is popular with flyers. Nature relaxation series’ invite audiences on soothing, majestic journeys to natural paradises, and an array of explorative documentaries discover ways to live life to the fullest. Emirates customers in 2023 tuned into Living Wild: How to Change Your Life, a series where Sophie Morgan goes on a road trip across the UK to meet people united by a desire to build new lives around the things they love. Storytelling with Gian Power: What’s your life story? also proved popular, as TLC Lions founder, Gian Power dives into the powerful world of storytelling and advises the audience how their personal story can become their greatest strength.

    Finishing 2023 on a high with Emirates ice

    For those jetting off for the holiday season and beyond, Emirates is closing out 2023 with the biggest movies of the year on ice. Customers can enjoy the top grossing box office movie of 2023 – the fantasy-comedy blockbuster Barbie, available in French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, Arabic and Chinese. Barbie is also available with ‘Closed Captions’ (CC) and ‘Audio Description’ (AD), offering accessibility to the visually impaired, with narration that describes what is happening on screen. Emirates offers up to 130 movies with AD and more than 250 with CC.

    Action aficionados can catch Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, a high stakes thriller partly filmed in the UAE, available on ice in up to 8 languages, or The Equalizer 3 starring Denzel Washington. Customers can even watch the entire trilogy on ice. Adrenaline enthusiasts will enjoy Gran Turismo, based on the true story of racing driver Jann Mardenborough, a successful gamer who becomes a real-life racer. ice also has an exclusive interview with Jann Mardenborough speaking about the making of the movie in the Emirates World podcast.

    Kicking off world class entertainment on ice in 2024

    Looking ahead to 2024, Emirates customers can expect to see many exciting developments on ice from exclusive new content partnerships to new next-generation inflight entertainment systems that offer memorable cinematic and personalised passenger experiences on the incoming 50-strong fleet of A350s. In January, customers can tune into Expend4bles, plus the complete box set of all 4 movies, The Creator – a visually impressive sci-fi from the director of Rogue One and the hit kid’s movie Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie. In February, ice will have Oppenheimer, the award-winning film from Christopher Nolan, Priscilla – Sofia Coppola’s biographical drama about the wife of Elvis Presley, amongst many more additions to the world’s largest entertainment library in the sky.

  • Emirates rolls out travel advisory and December festive travel plan

    Emirates rolls out travel advisory and December festive travel plan

    Emirates recommends that customers plan their travel carefully this December, as departure numbers peak throughout the festive month including over the UAE National Day and Christmas period. During most December weekends, more than 75,000 Emirates passengers are expected to depart Dubai International Airport each day.

    Emirates customers are advised to arrive at the airport up to 3 hours before a flight and take note of their boarding time to ensure they reach the departure gate on time. Travellers can take advantage of a wide array of check-in and baggage drop options from Emirates City Check In & Travel Store, to newly refurbished First and Business Class Check-In areas at Dubai International Airport, to private home check-in services and remote check-in facilities.

    Download the Emirates App to check in online

    Download the Emirates app for flight details at your fingertips. Book and change flights, download a digital boarding pass for most destinations, get notifications about your flight, check what meals will be served, pre-order your hot meal in Business Class, book a chauffeur drive service and even pre-select and plan movies to watch via ice inflight entertainment. Customers can also check in on Emirates.com. Online check-in and app check-in are both open 48 hours ahead of flight departure time.

    Drop luggage off at the airport the day before

    Emirates customers can drop off luggage at the airport the night before travel at no charge. Passengers who are departing from Dubai can check-in early and drop off their bags 24 hours before departure, or 12 hours before departure if flying to the US. Then closer to departure time, customers can proceed directly to the immigration area in the airport.

    Swift check in at the Emirates City Check In & Travel Store

    Save time at the airport and check in at the Emirates City Check‑in and Travel Store in ICD Brookfield Place, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) instead. Conveniently located in the heart of the business district, Emirates customers can check in, drop luggage and enjoy the glamorous surrounds, as early as 24 hours and up to 4 hours before a flight. Customers can check in anytime from 8:00am to 10:00pm daily, beginning their travel experience with seamless service via self check-in kiosks, at dedicated desks with Emirates agents or via the world’s first robot check in agent- Sara.

    Check-In for Emirates flights in Ajman

    Those starting their journeys from Ajman can also take advantage of a 24‑hour City Check‑in at Ajman Central Bus Terminal. Passengers can check in up to 4 hours before the flight departs, check in baggage, and collect boarding passes, buy a bus ticket for AED 20 and head directly to Emirates Terminal 3, with regular bus departures throughout the day from 4am to 11.30pm. Upon arrival at the airport, travellers can continue through to their flight.

    Check in from your own home

    Passengers can also opt to check in at home in Dubai and Sharjah. DUBZ agents complete the check-in process in the customer’s home, hotel, or office, and take the bags to the flight while customers are free to breeze through the airport later. Passengers can book at least 24 hours before a flight and proceed to the airport check-in up to six hours before the flight departs. The Home Check-In service is complimentary for First Class passengers.

    Enjoy the world-class airport experience at DXB with new First and Business Class check-in areas

    Passengers can choose to use Emirates’ self check-in kiosks at the airport if they haven’t already checked in online. It’s possible to view the travel itinerary, choose a preferred seat and add Emirates Skywards numbers, and use the baggage drop area to check-in bags. In Dubai International Airport, the Emirates First and Business Class Check In areas have been revamped, just in time for the festive season.

    Pre Order your Duty-Free shopping

    Customers who wish to save even more time can pre-order Duty-Free Shopping on EmiratesRED.com and get access to exclusive Duty-Free products, which are then delivered to their seat in the air. Luxury brands featured include Creed, Loewe, Mont Blanc, Bang & Olufsen, La Mer, Dr Levy, Cerruti, Yves Saint Laurent and many more. The pre-order service is available on most flights, and passengers can shop from 21 days up to 40 hours before their flight, providing their flight details during checkout. Cabin crew then delivers the order directly to the passenger’s seat inflight.

    Special assistance for People of Determination

    People of Determination can access dedicated support from trained Emirates and airport staff when travelling over the festive period. This includes a pre-planning guide for Dubai International Airport (DXB) for those with hidden disabilities, 2 hours complimentary parking at the airport and access to a dedicated priority lane for check-in, passport control, security and priority boarding if required. Passengers can check the Accessible Travel page on Emirates.com for information and contact their Emirates local office with queries.

  • Emirates engages experienced captains to fly the airline’s future fleet

    Emirates engages experienced captains to fly the airline’s future fleet

    Emirates is rolling out the red carpet to welcome experienced Airbus captains, as the airline continues to expand its all wide-body fleet while enjoying exceptional demand across the network. The airline is now inviting applications from seasoned commanders to join its Direct Entry Captains programme for its fleet of Airbus A380s.

     Emirates has launched a recruitment drive globally. Interested pilots and their families can join an online info session on 4 October at 1pm Dubai time, attend open days in select destinations, and keep an eye out for exciting opportunities here: https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/pilots/

    The Direct Entry Captains programme is for technically skilled captains with a minimum of 3,000 hours of recent command on Airbus fly-by-wire wide-body aircraft such as the A330, A340, A350, and A380. Candidates are required to have a minimum of 7,000 hours of total flying time on multi-crew, multi-engine aircraft, in addition to meeting other eligibility criteria.

    Life at 35,000ft
    Emirates’ pilots find flying the airline’s fleet professionally fulfilling, rewarding, and exciting. New joiners will be embraced into a 4,200 strong flight crew community, including 1,515 A380 pilots, who take pride in flying the airline’s overall fleet of 260 aircraft. The airline’s all wide-body fleet is one of the youngest and most advanced in the world, and includes Emirates’ iconic Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. Emirates will start receiving its fleet of A350s mid-2024 and 777-9s in 2025.

    The airline’s pilots also relish the excitement and adventure of flying one of the most comprehensive global route networks that spans six continents. They operate everything from regional routes in the Middle East to ultra-long haul destinations and cross-polar flights which make for varied and interesting rosters.

     Lifelong training
    The airline continues to invest soundly in innovative pilot training, with its current facility housing 10 full-flight simulators. Emirates’ robust, evidence-based in-house training programmes are delivered by highly experienced instructors and feature specially designed operating environments. The airline’s latest US$135 million, high-tech pilot training facility is set to open in March 2024. The 63,300sq.ft. facility will increase pilot training capacity by 54% and house 6 more full-flight simulators, including for the A350s and Boeing 777-9s.

     Pilots also have access to a range of non-technical training programmes at the Emirates Aviation College and Emirates Aviation University.

     Life at Emirates and in Dubai
    Emirates’ expat pilot community enjoy living and working in the safe, secure, multicultural city of Dubai with flight deck colleagues from 111 countries and other colleagues from over 160 nationalities. Pilots receive a competitive tax-free salary, spacious accommodation, education allowance, and excellent dental, medical and life cover. They also enjoy chauffeur-driven transport to and from work, laundry services, 42 days of annual leave, confirmed Business Class annual leave flight tickets, concessional cargo, exceptional discounted travel benefits for friends and family, and much more.

    Pilots appreciate the well-defined career paths at Emirates – Captains can go on to become management pilots, recruitment pilots, technical pilots, standards captains, training captains, audit captains, examiners and instructors. They also enjoy long, fruitful careers as around 40% have been with the airline for 10+ years – 1,380 pilots for 10-19 years, 173 for between 20-29 years, and 5 who have completed 30 years. Fun fact: the two longest serving pilots, with over 34 years of service, joined the airline on the same day in 1989.

    In the last five months, the airline has welcomed 172 new pilots on its three recruitment programmes – Direct Entry Captains, Accelerated Command, and First Officers.

    Accelerated Command Programme
    Designed for Airbus Captains who currently command narrow-body aircraft and have a minimum of 1,500 hours of Airbus fly-by-wire experience. They join as A380 First Officers on an enhanced salary package. After a minimum of 700 flying hours and two successful recurrent checks, they’re eligible for an accelerated command upgrade, which they typically achieve in a little over a year. 

    First Officer
    Candidates must have multi-engine, multi-crew aircraft experience, a valid International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL), and a minimum of 2,000 hours on 20-tonne maximum take-off weight aircraft.
    Interested pilots, who would like to learn more about the various flight deck roles and register for the info session, can click here.

  • Emirates to scale up London Heathrow flights from October

    Emirates to scale up London Heathrow flights from October

    Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has announced it will operate an additional five-a-week service to London Heathrow starting from 31 October 2023 until 30 March 2024. This temporary service will meet market demand during the busy winter season and offer customers more travel choices.

    Emirates currently serves London Heathrow with six daily A380 flights. The additional flight will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and will be served by Emirates’ wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, fitted in a three-class configuration split between First, Business and Economy classes.

    Emirates flight EK41 will depart Dubai at 13:20hrs and arrive at London Heathrow at 17:20hrs, local time. The return flight, EK42, will depart London Heathrow at 20:15hrs and arrive in Dubai at 07:15hrs local time, the following day.

    Tickets can be purchased on www.emirates.com, Emirates Sales Offices, via travel agents or through online travel agents.

    Serving the UK with more than 125 weekly flights

    Emirates continues to restore its UK services with the recent resumption of its iconic A380 service to Birmingham and Glasgow, double daily services to Stansted, and enhanced services to Newcastle and London Gatwick.

    The airline currently serves the UK with 126 weekly flights including: six times daily A380 service to London Heathrow; three times daily A380 service to Gatwick; twice daily service to Stansted; three times daily A380 service to Manchester; double daily service to Birmingham (including a daily A380 service); daily service to Newcastle; and a daily A380 service to Glasgow.

    More than 140 destinations across six continents

    Emirates’ extensive network spans over 140 destinations across six continents. The airline offers its customers an unmatched culinary experience in the skies with regionally inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages.

    Customers can sit back and relax with up to 6,500 channels of carefully curated global entertainment content featuring movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, games, audiobooks and more with ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

    Emirates’ home and hub, Dubai, remains a very popular holiday and stopover destination. Visitors from the UK can take advantage of the Dubai Experience platform that enables customers to easily browse, create and book their own customised itineraries including flights, hotel stay, visits to key attractions, and other dining and leisure experiences in Dubai and the UAE.

  • Emirates to scale up London Heathrow flights with additional flights to/from London Heathrow from October

    Emirates to scale up London Heathrow flights with additional flights to/from London Heathrow from October

    Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has announced it will operate an additional five-a-week service to London Heathrow starting from 31 October 2023 until 30 March 2024. This temporary service will meet market demand during the busy winter season and offer customers more travel choices.

    Emirates currently serves London Heathrow with six daily A380 flights. The additional flight will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and will be served by Emirates’ wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, fitted in a three-class configuration split between First, Business and Economy classes.

    Emirates flight EK41 will depart Dubai at 13:20hrs and arrive at London Heathrow at 17:20hrs, local time. The return flight, EK42, will depart London Heathrow at 20:15hrs and arrive in Dubai at 07:15hrs local time, the following day. Tickets can be purchased on www.emirates.com, Emirates Sales Offices, via travel agents or through online travel agents.

    Emirates continues to restore its UK services with the recent resumption of its iconic A380 service to Birmingham and Glasgow, double daily services to Stansted, and enhanced services to Newcastle and London Gatwick. The airline currently serves the UK with 126 weekly flights including: six times daily A380 service to London Heathrow; three times daily A380 service to Gatwick; twice daily service to Stansted; three times daily A380 service to Manchester; double daily service to Birmingham (including a daily A380 service); daily service to Newcastle; and a daily A380 service to Glasgow.

    Emirates’ extensive network spans over 140 destinations across six continents. The airline offers its customers an unmatched culinary experience in the skies with regionally inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages.

    Customers can sit back and relax with up to 6,500 channels of carefully curated global entertainment content featuring movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, games, audiobooks and more with ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

    Emirates’ home and hub, Dubai, remains a very popular holiday and stopover destination. Visitors from the UK can take advantage of the Dubai Experience platform that enables customers to easily browse, create and book their own customised itineraries including flights, hotel stay, visits to key attractions, and other dining and leisure experiences in Dubai and the UAE.

  • Feature: Nigeria needs an Economic Sabotage Commission

    Feature: Nigeria needs an Economic Sabotage Commission

    Is any presidential candidate discussing creating an Economic Sabotage Commission to try actions which damage our economy and legitimise poverty even though they may not constitute corruption

    Ayo Akinfe

    [1] Buying private jets when we do not have an aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in Nigeria is just an act of economic sabotage as all is does is drain foreign exchange and enrich foreign aircraft manufacturers

    [2] Buying generators when you could install solar panels on your roof is not only economically damaging but an environmental crime

    [3] Nigeria spends about 1% of her annual budget on religious pilgrimages. This is a luxury we simply cannot afford

    [4] Nigerians who go and throw lavish parties in Dubai just want to keep us in perpetual poverty. Their actions ensure that our own tourist industry will never develop

    [5] Government departments and corporates who go and purchase fleets of foreign vehicles rather than patronise Innoson Motors simply do not wish Nigeria well

    [6] So-called businessmen who go and import luxury fashion accessories for distribution across Nigeria rather than manufacture them locally are just enemies of the people. Have they ever challenged the likes of Gucci or Luis Vitton to open plants in Nigeria?

    [7] All those government officials who go abroad for medical treatment clearly do not wish Nigeria well. What happened to dying for your country? The amounts they spend would make a huge difference if invested in local healthcare facilities

    [8] Our import licence regime needs a massive overhaul. Food items, clothing, automobiles, household goods, communication equipment, etc that can all be easily manufactured in Nigeria should not be imported. At the moment, all the Central Bank of Nigeria has done is place a foreign exchange ban on them. We need to go further by naming and shaming these importers

    [9] Nigeria’s aviation industry will never grow unless it is patronised. Flying by British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, Emirates, etc when Air Peace plies the same route is perpetuating Nigeria’s under-development

    [10] We need a constitutional amendment that compels state governments to only award contracts to foreign companies that come to Nigeria to invest. If they are not prepared to invest in our people, we should not be giving them our business. I do not understand how Nigeria can be an investment risk to them yet Nigeria’s money is acceptable to such companies

  • Emirates ramps up operations to London Gatwick with a third daily A380 service

    Emirates ramps up operations to London Gatwick with a third daily A380 service

    Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has ramped up its operations to Gatwick Airport with the addition of a third daily A380 flight. The airline continues to scale up its UK operations to meet sustained demand ahead of the holiday rush.

    The additional frequency will offer enhanced capacity with more than 1,000 seats to/from Gatwick to Dubai, every day. Emirates flight EK11 will depart Dubai at 2:50hrs, flight EK15 will depart at 7:40hrs and flight EK09 will depart at 14:25hrs – offering customers even more flexibility and travel choices.

    Emirates currently serves the UK with 119 weekly flights across seven UK hubs including: six times daily to London Heathrow; three times daily to London Gatwick; daily service to London Stansted; three times daily to Manchester; double daily service to Birmingham; daily flights to Newcastle; and a daily service to Glasgow.

    Fly better to 130 destinations with Emirates

    Emirates’ extensive network spans to 130 destinations, across six continents. Emirates’ home and hub, Dubai, remains a very popular holiday and stopover destination. Visitors from the UK can take advantage of the new Dubai Experience platform that enables customers to easily browse, create and book their own customised itineraries including flights, hotel stay, visits to key attractions, and other dining and leisure experiences in Dubai and the UAE.

    For more information, visit emirates.com. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or through online travel agents. 

  • Emirates and flyDubai deliver five unrivalled travel options to customers, five years on!

    Emirates and flyDubai deliver five unrivalled travel options to customers, five years on!

    Emirates and flydubai are jointly celebrating five years of their extensive partnership, which began in 2017 by disclosing five highlights on how they have been able to achieve the feat of delivering historic benefits for travelers. In the span of five years, both airlines have successfully delivered their promise of offering customers unrivalled travel options to every corner of the globe. Most significant is the fact that the carriers’ joint route network has significantly expanded, enabling more than 11 million customers to connect on over 250,000 flights and benefit from seamless travel.

     The innovative partnership goes beyond the standard code-sharing model and today includes integrated network collaboration, schedule optimization, seamless connectivity at Dubai International airport (DXB) between Terminals 2 and 3, baggage transfers on a single itinerary, as well as reciprocal loyalty benefits under the joint loyalty programme, Emirates Skywards.

    In the span of these five years, the Emirates and flydubai’s partnership boasts of five key highlights with benefits to customers as follows:   

    ·         A joint network that offers unrivalled choice:  This network avails customers access to 215 destinations across 98 countries, with over 250 codeshare flights to choose from on an average day. Emirates customers can book flights to over 80 unique flydubai destinations and flydubai customers can choose from over 99 Emirates destinations. Popular customer favourites, whether travelling for business or leisure include: Kathmandu, Kuwait, the Maldives, Tel Aviv, and Zanzibar.

    ·         Joint loyalty programme maximizing customer rewards: Reportedly more than 8.5 million members have been able to enjoy joint Emirates and flydubai frequent flyer programme benefits, earning 150 billion Skywards Miles in the last five years through the partnership.

    ·         Seamless connectivity at DXB: The partnership offers customers seamless check-in, efficient baggage transfers, passenger access to Emirates’ lounges at Terminal 3 and the flydubai lounge at Terminal 2, reduced connection times as both airlines expand their flight schedules, and convenient connections to 33 flydubai destinations operated from Emirates Terminal 3 in DXB.

    ·         Continued network growth: Every month, new travel opportunities are being created for the 270,000 passengers who connect between both airlines as Emirates and flydubai continue to add more flights to their schedules. This offers customers more flexibility with multiple daily flight departures to destinations like Bahrain, Kuwait, Karachi, the Maldives, key cities in Saudi Arabia and Tel Aviv. Both airlines also continue to expand their networks, with Emirates recently reinstating flights to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. In 2022, flydubai’s network has grown bigger than ever, launching flights to Al Ula, Namangan, Osh, Pisa and Samarkand, to name a few. flydubai has also announced services to Gan in the Maldives, Cagliari and Milan-Bergamo in Italy, Corfu in Greece and Krabi and Pattaya in Thailand from 2023 as well as the resumption of flights to Abha, Ha’il, Hofuf and Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.

    ·         Continued investment in enhancing the customer experience: Emirates has said it will retrofit 120 aircraft with Premium Economy seats starting this month as part of a $2 billion investment which also includes elevated dining options and more sustainable choices. Flydubai, on the other hand, has debuted a new Business Class recliner seat offering customers more comfort on its short and medium-haul flights. In addition, flydubai has grown its fleet to 70 Boeing 737 aircraft and will retrofit a number of its existing aircraft, as well as equip its future aircraft, with its new Business Class seats.

    The Emirates story started in 1985 when it launched operations with just two aircraft. Today, the Airline flies the world’s biggest fleets of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, offering its customers the comforts of the latest and most efficient wide-body aircraft in the skies. Emirates has continued to inspire travelers worldwide with its growing network of worldwide destinations, industry leading inflight entertainment, regionally inspired cuisine, and world-class service.

  • Emirates Boarding Pass unlocks exclusive offers for new holiday season

    Emirates Boarding Pass unlocks exclusive offers for new holiday season

    Emirates has announced today the return of its popular My Emirates Pass. Starting from 1st November 2022 to 31st March 2023, the special pass enables customers to get more from their trip with exclusive offers at over 500 locations in the UAE, throughout the December holiday season and beyond.

    Emirates customers flying to or through Dubai can simply show their boarding pass and a valid form of identification to hundreds of retail, leisure and dining outlets, as well as famous attractions and luxury spas, to enjoy fantastic discounts throughout Dubai and the UAE www.emirates.com/myemiratespass. 

    In addition, Emirates passengers can also enjoy a complimentary ticket to Tour Dubai’s one hour Creek Sightseeing Cruise, which gives unrivalled panoramic views of Dubai’s historic district from a traditional show boat.

    Whether it’s catching up on major sports events such as the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens and DP World Tour golf events, or immersing yourself in the festive celebrations this December, there is something for every traveller when visiting Dubai this Christmas holiday season.

    From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world-class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences.

    Customers can book their holiday to Dubai through Emirates Holidays. All Emirates Holidays include flexible booking options and a dedicated 24/7 On Holiday Service team which will be available to support holidaymakers for every moment that they’re away. Members of Emirates’ award-winning loyalty programme, Skywards, can earn Miles on everyday spending at retail outlets in the UAE, and redeem these Miles for reward tickets, upgrades, as well as tickets for concerts and sports events.  Customers will also be availed  the Dubai Experience that enables them to browse, create and book their own customised itineraries including flights, hotel stay, visits to key attractions, and other dining and leisure experiences in Dubai and the UAE.