Emirates to start Dubai-Ahmedabad service from Oct

Emirates airline has confirmed its plans to launch the Dubai-Ahmedabad sector from this October, its ninth Indian gateway.

The Dubai-based airline will commence six-times weekly non-stop services to Ahmedabad from October 28, providing a first direct link between India's sixth largest city and Dubai.

"Emirates' decision to start operations to Ahmedabad comes close on the heels of our recent announcement to expand services to Mumbai, Chennai, Cochin and Hyderabad, clearly signalling our expansion-based strategy for India," Emirates Chairman and CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum noted.

The flights will be operated in two- and three-class configurations using A330-200 and Boeing 777-200

aircraft.

The new service will take approximately three hours, and will inject over 1,500 passenger seats and 100-plus tonnes of cargo capacity per week on the route.

Ahmedabad is the latest in a series of new international routes, including Newcastle, Sao Paulo, Toronto and Houston, to be launched by the airline in 2007.

It also represents Emirates' fourth Indian gateway in a span of less than two years, the others being Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata and Bangalore.

"We are pleased that our enhanced presence will provide NRIs, particularly those in West Asia, with more convenient access to their home country," the airline official said.