Airline connects with its
fifth destination in Pakistan
DUBAI / Sialkot, U.A.E 5th
November 2013
- Emirates, a global connector of people and places today launched services to
Sialkot, its fifth destination in Pakistan. Emirates will operate four weekly
flights with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft in a two-class configuration, offering
54 seats in Business Class and 183 in Economy Class.
The inaugural flight EK620
departed from Terminal 3, Dubai International at 04.15 hours and touched down
at 08.20hours local time.
Onboard was a delegation including His Excellency
Essa El Basha Al Nuaimi, UAE Ambassador for Pakistan; Ashfaq Ahmed Chaudhry, Chairman Sialkot International Airport; Khawar
Anwar Khawaja, Chief Executive Grays of Cambridge (Pakistan) & member for
both Sialkot International Airport Limited and Chamber of Commerce;
Salah Al Ansari, Director, Visitor
Information Bureaus - Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing; Ahmed
Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations - West Asia
& Indian Ocean and Khalid Bardan, Vice President Pakistan and Afghanistan. 
“Pakistan was the first country Emirates flew to just over
28 years ago”, said Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial
Operations, West Asia and Indian Ocean. “Since then the airline has steadily grown its network
and continued to link the Pakistani community to the UAE as well as to
worldwide destinations, making it easier to connect with friends, family and
trade opportunities. Dubai and Pakistan have very close links due to the large
community of Pakistanis living in the region and the level of trade between the
UAE and Pakistan.”
“Sialkot International Airport
is Pakistan’s first privately owned airport”, said Ashfaq Ahmed Chaudhry,
Chairman of Sialkot International Airport. “Having Emirates commence operations
here will boost the regional economy, and offers Emirates passengers a
convenient new entry point to Pakistan through our modern and efficiently run
facility.”
Sialkot is the capital of
Sialkot District located in the north-east of the Punjab province in Pakistan.
Situated around 125 kilometres north of Lahore, it provides Emirates’ customers
with an alternative gateway to the Export Triangle of Pakistan – the area
encompassing Gujrat, Sialkot and Gujranwala. The city is renowned as a
key manufacturing base particularly for sports goods and clothing, gloves,
surgical instruments, cutlery, ceramics and leather garments. The Emirates
A330-200 operating the Sialkot service can carry up to 17 tonnes of cargo,
giving a boost to trade opportunities.
Emirates flight EK620 departs
Dubai at 04:15 hours and arrives in Sialkot at 08:20 hours on Tuesdays,
Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The return flight EK621 leaves Sialkot
at 09:45 hours, arriving in Dubai at 12:35 hours. Emirates’ flights from
Sialkot connect seamlessly through the airline’s global hub in Dubai to key
business and leisure destinations such as the UK, continental Europe and the
Middle East.
The Emirates Group employs
over 4,000 Pakistanis across its business divisions, including 86 Cabin Crew,
17 Pilots and a team of over 230 based in Pakistan. The airline operates 66
flights a week to Pakistan including four to Sialkot, 35 to Karachi, 11 each to
Lahore and Islamabad and five to Peshawar.
For further information about
Emirates and to book flights to Sialkot, please visit www.emirates.com or visit your preferred
travel agent.
-Ends-
About Emirates
Emirates was founded as an
airline in 1985 and its first flight was to Karachi, Pakistan on 25th
October. It now flies to 137 destinations in 77 countries across six
continents, providing air services that enable trade and travel to its home
base in Dubai and beyond. Emirates also connects millions of people on the
ground each year through its other operations including Emirates Holidays, its
destination marketing arm, and tour operator Arabian Adventures. Seamless
trade connections are supported through Emirates SkyCargo, its cargo division.
A multinational and
multicultural employer with over 160 nationalities working together, Emirates
is committed to connecting people around the globe, and helping them to
discover, enjoy and share new experiences together. This commitment is
reflected in its wide portfolio of international sports and cultural
sponsorships.
Media Contact
Asiatic
PR: Khurram Zia Khan or Afsar Khan Ph: 35867576 – 35837674
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment