WAM DUBAI, 26th June 2012 (WAM): Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing airlines, today underlined its commitment to Zambia and Zimbabwe by announcing that its Dubai-Lusaka-Harare route would become a daily service from 1st October 2012.

The linked service, which currently operates five times a week, has performed strongly since its launch on 1st February this year. To date, Emirates has carried over 43,000 passengers on the route.

"This latest boost to Emirates' African network is testament to the continuous upward growth in demand for our flights to and from the continent," said Jean Luc Grillet, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for Africa. "A daily service to Lusaka and Harare will mean greater choice for customers, while an increased cargo capacity of 40 per cent will facilitate more export business opportunities for both countries, forging greater trade links and increasing access to key trading partners in Asia and the Middle East." A weekly cargo capacity of 224 tonnes and access to Emirates' network of more than 120 destinations worldwide is already supporting a range of exports from both Zambia and Zimbabwe. Key commodities being shipped from Lusaka and Harare include fresh flowers, fruit, vegetables and copper mining industry by-products.

Tourism is another key beneficiary, with Emirates' Lusaka service supporting the Zambia Tourism Board's target for increasing visitor arrivals by 22.5 per cent to one million visitors in 2012. It is also expected that Emirates' flights to Harare will support the Tourism Ministry's projections that the sector will contribute over US$5 billion to the Zimbabwean economy by 2015.

The Dubai-Lusaka-Harare service is operated by an A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration, offering 12 luxurious First Class seats, 42 seats in Business Class and generous space for 183 passengers in Economy Class.

With a fleet of 175 aircraft and already the largest Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 operator in the world, Emirates currently flies to 123 destinations in 73 countries. With an order for 50 new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft placed at the Dubai Airshow, Emirates now has 228 aircraft on order, worth over US$84 billion at list prices.

Emirates currently serves 21 passenger and cargo destinations across the African continent. Over the next three months, the airline will launch a further four destinations: Barcelona, Lisbon, Erbil and Washington, DC.

WAM/TF