COAS Gen Asim Munir Inaugurated the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP) in Karachi

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) attended the inauguration ceremony of the second part of the National Silicon Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP) in Karachi. Major General Munir, as the chief guest, spoke positively about the project, believing that it could enhance technology and help the country become more self-reliant.

People see NASTP as an essential project for the nation, especially in terms of strategy. It is expected to foster innovation and provide a platform for young people interested in space, internet and information technology.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu shared his vision of NASTP becoming a major hub for the aviation, cyber and IT sector, with a focus on new technologies.

During the visit, a presentation was also given on the army’s readiness for operations and various support programs for the forces and the families of those who sacrificed their lives. This confirms the comprehensive approach to the leadership of military commanders.

Emirates operates milestone demonstration flight powered with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Conducted in partnership with GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent
First demonstration flight in Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100% SAF in one of two engines

Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight on a Boeing 777-300ER, powering one of its engines with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB), and was commanded by Captain Fali Vajifdar and Captain Khalid Nasser Akram, flying for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline.

The demonstration flight powered by SAF holds particular significance as the UAE declares 2023 the ‘Year of Sustainability’. The year will showcase the UAE’s commitment to seek innovative solutions to challenges such as energy, climate change and other issues related to sustainability. The flight supports collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying and help advance the UAE’s sustainability objectives.

Emirates’ demonstration flight, the first in the Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100% SAF, supports broader efforts to reduce lifecycle CO₂ emissions as the industry looks to scale up its use of SAF. The flights will also help to refine the playbook for future SAF demonstrations, and will also support future certification where 100% drop-in SAF fuel is approved for aircraft. Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel.

Emirates worked alongside partners GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF that closely replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel. At each blend ratio, a host of chemical and physical fuel property measurements were carried out. After multiple lab tests and rigorous trials, they arrived at a blending ratio that mirrored the qualities of jet fuel. Eighteen tonnes of SAF were blended, comprised of HEFA-SPK provided by Neste (hydro processed esters and fatty acids and synthetic paraffinic kerosene) and HDO-SAK from Virent (hydro deoxygenated synthetic aromatic kerosene). The 100% SAF supplied one GE90 engine, with conventional jet fuel supplying the other engine.

The test flight further demonstrates the compatibility of the specially blended SAF as a safe and reliable fuel source. The promising outcome of this initiative also adds to the body of industry data and research around SAF blends in higher proportions, paving the way for standardization and future approval of 100% drop-in SAF as a replacement for jet fuel, well above the current 50% blend limit.

Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer, Emirates Airline said: “This flight is a milestone moment for Emirates and a positive step for our industry as we work collectively to address one of our biggest challenges – reducing our carbon footprint. It has been a long journey to finally see this demonstration 100% SAF flight take off. Emirates is the first passenger airline in the world to operate a Boeing 777 powering a GE engine with 100% SAF. Such initiatives are critical contributors to industry knowledge on SAF, and provide data to demonstrate the use of higher blends of SAF for future regulatory approvals. We hope that landmark demonstrations flights like this one, will help open the door to scale up the SAF supply chain and make it more available and accessible across geographies, and most importantly, affordable for broader industry adoption in the future.”

“My congratulations go to Emirates on this achievement. SAF is critical to helping the aviation industry reach its goal to be net zero by 2050 and collaborations like this to test 100% SAF globally will help bring us closer to this target,” said Aziz Koleilat, vice president of global sales and marketing in the Middle East for GE Aerospace.

“Boeing congratulates Emirates on its successful flight tests using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF),” said Omar Arekat, Vice President, Commercial Sales and Marketing, Middle East, The Boeing Company. “SAF will play a critical role in the aviation industry’s commitment to be net zero by 2050, requiring strong industry collaboration. We were proud to partner with Emirates on these tests and look forward to further working with our partners to enable the widespread use of SAF across the globe.”

“We are excited to apply our technology to such a milestone demonstration. The 331-500 auxiliary power unit or APU is an integral part of the Boeing 777 aircraft system. The APU provides main engine starting, environmental control and emergency back-up systems for the aircraft on the ground and in-flight. It uses the same fuel as the main propulsion engines. Currently the APU is certified to run on only 50% SAF, so this demonstration is a big first step in showing full APU functionality and capability when running on 100% SAF,” said Mosab Alkubaisy, Director of Airlines, Honeywell Aerospace Middle East.

Jonathan Wood, Vice President EMEA, Renewable Aviation at Neste, said: “Neste is working closely together with partners to accelerate the availability and use of SAF, which plays a crucial role in reducing the emissions of air travel. To fully leverage its decarbonization potential we need to enable 100% SAF use and test flights like this Emirates flight are an important step towards 100% SAF certification. It also shows the importance of cooperation to achieve the emission reduction goals and Neste is committed to play our part in ensuring Dubai and the UAE continue to be a leader on sustainability and emission reductions in the aviation sector, as we increase our SAF production capacity to 1.5 million tons per annum by the end of this year. We look forward to growing the supply of SAF to Dubai.”

“Virent’s technology converts widely available, plant-based sugars into the compounds that make 100% sustainable aviation fuel possible, without the need to blend with traditional jet fuel,” said Dave Kettner, president and general counsel of Virent, Inc. “Along with our parent company Marathon Petroleum Corporation, we are committed to meeting today’s energy needs while investing in an energy diverse future, and today’s flight is a great example of this commitment. We’re excited about this opportunity to work with our forward-thinking colleagues at Emirates, GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell and Neste as we demonstrate that we can power sustainable aviation without modifying today’s modern airline engines or the infrastructure that serves the airline industry.”

His Excellency Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO at ENOC praised the achievement as it coincides with 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’, which was announced by the UAE’s President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It also represents a major step towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions and achieving climate neutrality.

His Excellency added: “At ENOC, we prioritise working closely with our strategic partners to implement a national roadmap for sustainable aviation fuel. This not only aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, but also contributes to achieving the UAE’s goals in climate neutrality, enhances the efficiency and conservation of fuel, as well as positions the UAE as a regional hub for sustainable aviation fuel. Playing an active role in supplying Dubai Airports with aviation fuel, ENOC Group is participating in this achievement by securing and blending sustainable aviation fuel, which will help to secure this type of fuel in the UAE in the future.”

Emirates is committed to supporting initiatives that help minimise its CO₂ emissions, and the airline has already made great strides in fuel efficiency and conservation as well as operational advancements across its operations. The airline also supports IATA’s collective industry commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and is exploring opportunities to augment operational fuel efficiency, SAF, low carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and renewable energy.

The airline already runs a comprehensive fuel efficiency programme that actively investigates and implements ways to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and emissions, wherever it is operationally feasible. Some of the programme’s most significant initiatives include the operation of “flex tracks”, or flexible routings – partnering with air navigation service providers to create the most efficient flight plan for each flight. These efforts have been ongoing since 2003, and Emirates has been working with IATA to extend this routing system across the world as a standard operating procedure where possible.

Emirates’ first flight powered by SAF blended with jet fuel was in 2017, operating from Chicago O’Hare airport on a Boeing 777. It received its first SAF-powered A380 delivery in 2020, and also uplifted 32 tonnes of SAF for its flights from Stockholm that same year.

Emirates and flydubai celebrate five years of partnership

Karachi – This month marks five years since Emirates and flydubai activated their extensive partnership and joined forces to offer customers unrivalled travel options to every corner of the globe. They’ve certainly delivered on their promise. 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 since the partnership launched in 2017.

The innovative partnership goes beyond the standard code sharing model and today includes integrated network collaboration, schedule optimisation, 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.

Here’s five key highlights of Emirates and flydubai’s partnership and the benefits it offers to customers:

Joint network offers unrivalled choice: Today, customers have 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, and Zanzibar.

Joint loyalty programme maximising customer rewards: 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: Customers enjoy 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: New travel opportunities are being created for the 270,000 passengers who connect between both airlines each month 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 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 has debuted a new Business Class recliner seat offering customers more comfort on its short and medium haul flights. 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.

Emirates Group announces record half-year performance for 2022-23

Karachi – The Emirates Group today announced its half-year results for its 2022-23 financial year.

The Group is reporting a 2022-23 half-year net profit of AED 4.2 billion (US$ 1.2 billion), a record half-year performance, and a turnaround of almost AED 10 billion from its AED 5.7 billion (US$ 1.6 billion) loss for the same period last year.

The Group also reported an EBITDA of AED 15.3 billion (US$ 4.2 billion), a marked improvement from AED 5.6 billion (US$ 1.5 billion) during the same period last year, illustrating its strong operating profitability.

Group revenue was AED 56.3 billion (US$ 15.3 billion) for the first six months of 2022-23, up 128% from AED 24.7 billion (US$ 6.7 billion) last year. This was driven by the strong demand for air transport across the world with the further easing and removal of pandemic-related travel restrictions.

The Group closed the 1^st half year of 2022-23 with a strong cash position of AED 32.6 billion (US$ 8.9 billion) on 30 September 2022, compared to AED 25.8 billion (US$ 7.0 billion), as on 31 March 2022. The Group has been able to tap on its own strong cash reserves to support business needs, including debt payments and pandemic-related commitments.

His Highness (HH) Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “The Group’s record performance for the first six months of 2022-23 is the result of forward planning, agile business response, and the efforts of our talented and committed workforce.

“Across the Group, our operations recovery accelerated as more countries eased and removed travel restrictions. We were ready and amongst the first movers to serve the strong customer demand thanks to our robust business plans, the support of our industry partners, and our ongoing investments in people, technology, and products and services.

“For the coming months, we remain focussed on restoring our operations to pre-pandemic levels and recruiting the right skills for our current and future requirements. We expect customer demand across our business divisions to remain strong in H2 2022-23. However, the horizon is not without headwinds, and we are keeping a close watch on inflationary costs and other macro-challenges such as the strong US dollar and the fiscal policies of major markets.”

Sheikh Ahmed added: “The Group expects to return to our track record of profitability at the close of our full financial year.”

In line with increased capacity and business activities, the Emirates Group’s employee base, compared to 31 March 2022, grew 10% to an overall count of 93,893 at 30 September 2022. Both Emirates and dnata have also embarked on targeted recruitment drives to support their future requirements.

Emirates airline

Emirates continued to focus on restoring its global passenger network and connections through its Dubai hub, restarting services and adding flights to meet customer demand across markets.

In June, it launched services to Tel Aviv, a new destination. Expanding connectivity options for customers, Emirates launched codeshare and interline agreements with 12 airlines in the first six months of 2022-23: Airlink, AEGEAN, ITA Airways, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Bamboo Airways, Batik Air, Finnair, Royal Air Maroc, Sky Express, Sun Country Airlines, and United Airlines.

By 30 September, the airline was operating passenger and cargo services to 140 airports, utilising its entire Boeing 777 fleet and 73 A380s.

During the first six months of 2022-23, Emirates took delivery of 2 new Boeing 777 freighters and returned 1 older freighter from its fleet as part of its long-standing strategy to minimise its emissions footprint and operate modern, efficient aircraft. With new passenger aircraft only expected to arrive in 2024, Emirates this month began its multi-billion dollar programme to retrofit 120 aircraft with its latest cabin interiors and products.

Emirates continued to introduce new product and customer initiatives to deliver on its ‘fly better’ promise, including enhanced menus across all cabin classes, and the launch of a new hospitality programme to uplift service training and delivery. In August, Emirates launched its full Premium Economy experience to hugely positive, “booked-out” customer response on its flights to London, Paris and Sydney. Emirates plans to introduce its Premium Economy product on 5 more routes before the end of 2022-23, as more aircraft fitted with these popular seats roll out of its retrofit programme.

Overall capacity during the first six months of the year increased by 40% to 22.8 billion Available Tonne Kilometres (ATKM) due to an expanded flight programme as more countries eased travel restrictions. Capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKM), increased by 123%, whilst passenger traffic carried measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKM) was up by 265% with an average Passenger Seat Factor of 78.5%, compared with 47.9% during the same period last year.

Emirates carried 20.0 million passengers between 1 April and 30 September 2022, up 228% from the same period last year. Emirates Skycargo uplifted 936,000 tonnes in the first six months of the year, a 14% decrease compared to the same period last year, as the airline shifted capacity from its “mini-freighters” back to passenger operations.

Emirates profit for the first half of 2022-23 hit a new record of AED 4.0 billion (US$ 1.1 billion), compared to last year’s loss of AED 5.8 billion (US$ 1.6 billion). Despite an unfavourable currency exchange environment, Emirates revenue, including other operating income, of AED 50.1 billion (US$ 13.7 billion) was up 131% compared with the AED 21.7 billion (US$ 5.9 billion) recorded during the same period last year. The airline’s strong turnaround performance is driven by strong passenger demand for international travel across markets and shows the airline’s ability to plan ahead to meet the demand, activate capacity, and attract customers with its high-quality products and value proposition.

Emirates’ operating costs increased by 73% against an overall capacity growth of 40% mainly due to the substantial increase in fuel costs which more than tripled compared to the same period last year. This was primarily due to a 65% higher fuel uplift in line with increased flight operations, and the doubling of average oil prices during this period. Fuel, which was the largest component of the airline’s operating cost in pre-pandemic reporting cycles, accounted for 38% of operating costs, one of the highest ratios ever, compared to 20% in the first six months of last year.

Driven by strong demand and increased operations during the six months, Emirates’ EBITDA grew nearly three times to AED 14.7 billion (US$ 4.0 billion) compared to AED 5.0 billion (US$ 1.4 billion) for the same period last year.

dnata

In line with increased air and passenger traffic across markets, dnata’s businesses in cargo and ground handling, catering and retail, and travel services saw a significant uptick in operations. This drove strong revenue growth in the first six months of 2022-23, however dnata’s overall performance was dampened by inflation and increased costs across its markets.

In the first half of 2022-23, dnata grew its footprint with new long-term concession contracts to provide services in Zanzibar (dnata airport operations), and Ras Al Khaimah (Alpha Catering). Its Airport Operations division entered the German market with the acquisition of Wisskirchen Handling Services, the exclusive operator at Cologne Bonn Cargo Centre; and acquired the remaining 30% stake to assume full ownership of its ground handling business in Brazil.

Ensuring its future readiness to provide safe and high-quality services to its customers, dnata committed US$ 100 million to implement green technology and initiatives across its business, and invested US$ 17 million into its operations in Erbil, Iraq including an advanced cool chain facility, bus maintenance facility, and a new cargo warehouse.

dnata’s revenue, including other operating income, of AED 7.3 billion (US$ 2.0 billion) doubled compared to AED 3.7 billion (US$ 1 billion) generated in the same period last year.

Overall profit for dnata is AED 236 million (US$ 64 million), compared to last year’s AED 85 million (US$ 23 million).

dnata’s airport operations remains the largest contributor to revenue with AED 3.5 billion (US$ 944 million), a 37% increase as compared to the same period last year, as customer demand continued to pick up particularly in its UAE, US, Italy and UK businesses. Across its operations, the number of aircraft turns handled by dnata increased by 56% to 347,581, and it handled 1.4 million tonnes of cargo, slightly down by 2% reflecting its airline customers’ increased focus on passenger operations.

dnata’s flight catering and retail operations, contributed AED 2.4 billion (US$ 651 million) to its revenue, up 212% with strong production increases in Australia, the UK and US to meet customer demand. The number of meals uplifted increased sharply by 204% to 50.5 million meals after last year’s 16.6 million.

dnata’s travel division contributed AED 1.2 billion (US$ 323 million) to revenue, up 708% compared to AED 147 million (US$ 40 million) for the same period last year, driven largely by the strong recovery of travel demand and bookings in its Middle East and UK businesses. The division reported an underlying total transactional value (TTV) sales of AED 4.7 billion (US$ 1.3 billion), compared to AED 726 million (US$ 198 million) for the same period last year.

Emirates Skywards rings in the festive season with thousands of Miles on offer

Karachi – Emirates Skywards has kicked off the festive season with incredible offers this winter. The loyalty programme will be rolling out special offers every month to provide members with even more ways to earn thousands of Miles with every flight, hotel stay, car rental, shopping spree and more.

Starting from today until 18 November, members can earn thousands of Miles with the following partners:

Earn up to 14,500 Miles on hotel stays*

Emirates Skywards Hotels: Earn up to 14,500 Miles per night with more than 400,000 hotels worldwide.
Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts: Earn double Miles with Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts worldwide.
IHG® Hotels & Resorts: Earn double Miles with Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts worldwide.
Rotana Hotels: Earn double Miles on hotel stays across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Türkiye.

Earn up to 5,000 bonus Miles on car rentals*

Emirates Skywards members can earn up to 5,000 Miles bonus Miles on car rentals worldwide with Avis, Hertz and SIXT.

Earn up to 100,000 bonus Miles with Emirates Skywards Credit Cards*

Emirates NBD Skywards Infinite Credit Card: Earn up to 100,000 bonus Miles, save AED 2,999 on joining fees, and enjoy Silver Tier membership benefits.
Emirates – Citibank Cards: Earn up to 45,000 bonus Miles, save on annual fees, and enjoy Silver Tier membership benefits.
Emirates Skywards ICICI Bank Credit Card: Earn up to 10,000 bonus Miles and enjoy Silver Tier membership benefits.

Convert Points to Skywards Miles*

First Abu Dhabi Bank: Win up to 500,000 Skywards Miles when you convert your FAB Rewards into Skywards Miles.
National Bank of Kuwait: Earn double Miles when you convert NBK KWT Points into Skywards Miles.

Click here for more information.

Emirates Skywards members will have more reasons to celebrate this year. Stay tuned for even more fantastic offers next month with The Bicester Collection, Skywards Everyday, skywardsmilesmall.com, utu Tax Free app and more.*

Emirates Skywards has close to 30 million members worldwide. The loyalty programme offers four tiers of membership: Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum, with each tier earning exclusive privileges. Members can earn Skywards Miles with partners ranging from airlines, hotels and car rentals to financial, leisure and lifestyle brands. Skywards Miles can be spent on an extensive range of rewards, including flight tickets on partner airlines, flight upgrades, hotel stays, tickets, hospitality at sporting and cultural events, tours and money-can’t-buy experiences.

For more information, visit www.emirates.com/skywards.

Emirates appoints new Regional Manager in Pakistan

Karachi – Emirates has appointed Salem Al Mana as the new Regional Manager for Pakistan, with effect from 1 November. This comes as part of the airline’s management rotations to support its commercial strategies and efforts in rebuilding its global network amidst the increase in travel demand and the easing of restrictions. Salem was previously Emirates’ Commercial Support Manager – Indonesia since 2021.

In his new role, Salem will report to Mohammed Alnahari Alhashmi, Vice President – Pakistan and will help Emirates respond to shifting market dynamics in addition to strengthening Emirates’ presence in the market and driving growth. Wahid Albalooshi, who was previously Regional Manager Pakistan, will become District Manager Riyadh.

On Salem’s appointment Mohammed Alnahari Alhashmi, Emirates’ Vice President – Pakistan said: “I am pleased to welcome Salem to the team in Pakistan, which is one of the most important markets for Emirates in the region. We look forward to benefiting from his broad experience, which will help us to drive growth of our online and offline sales through our network of travel partners as well as our operations in five cities in Pakistan. I congratulate him on the new role and challenge.

“I would also like to thank Wahid Albalooshi for his efforts and achievements while he served in Pakistan and wish him the best on his new role in Saudi Arabia.”

Salem joined Emirates in 2017 as a fresh graduate and was part of the airline’s UAE national commercial outstation program, providing necessary knowledge and exposure to the global aviation industry. Initially based in Emirates’ headquarters in Dubai, Salem moved through several roles firstly as Commercial Support Manager followed by his post as a trainee in UAE Sales to gain experience and a strong understanding of the market dynamics and the airline’s operations.

In 2019, following his training at Emirates’ hub in Dubai, Salem was posted in India as Commercial Support Manager – Mumbai, serving in one of the airline’s biggest markets in the region. His role in India provided him with an in-depth understanding of Emirates’ international operations as well as market knowledge and the competitive landscape.

His diversified experience also included training with the internal audit team to gain the knowledge necessary to successfully operate and in full compliance with local regulations in an outstation. Following the completion of his training in 2020, Salem was posted as a Commercial Support Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, initially based in Sri Lanka, but due to the global pandemic, continued to support the two markets from Emirates’ headquarters in Dubai.

In his latest stint with Emirates, Salem was posted as a Commercial Support Manager for Indonesia in 2021, learning the ropes of how the market operates and gaining a thorough understanding of customer segments and how to better serve their needs, especially for leisure and corporate customers, as well as religious tourism.

Salem studied in the United Arab Emirates and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Communication from Dubai Men’s College.

Emirates has held strong ties with Pakistan since 1985 and the airline remains committed to its long-term commercial strategy in the country. Emirates currently operates passenger services to five cities in Pakistan including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Sialkot, and Peshawar – connecting customers to more than 130 destinations via Dubai.

Emirates adds another feather in its cap with Gerry the Goose ‘Fly Better’ campaign

New TV and online advertising campaign takes playful look at the airline’s Fly Better philosophy

Karachi: Following in the footsteps of iconic film and TV personalities Jennifer Aniston, Chris Hemsworth and Jeremy Clarkson, Emirates latest brand ambassador Gerry the Goose is inviting customers to take a gander at the benefits and services of the world’s largest international airline, and choose to ‘Fly Better’.

From September, the global ad campaign will be in full flight across the USA and Europe, reminding customers that Emirates provides an ‘impeckable’ travel experience on-board with award-winning in-flight entertainment, world-class cabin crew, regionally inspired cuisine and acclaimed beverages. To compliment the ‘best-in sky’ offering, Emirates also offers an impressive on-ground experience– through a myriad of online and home check-in options, chauffeur-driven airport transfers and outstanding lounges.

The campaign storyline follows Gerry as he ruffles feathers by deciding to Fly Better aboard a comfortable and sophisticated Emirates Premium Economy cabin, while his migrating bird-brethren are in ‘fowl humour’ after a long and tiring flight by wing. Gerry is spotted smugly bypassing his counterparts as they fly outside the plane window, while he indulges in a delicious meal and reclines in his spacious seat to enjoy ‘The Goose, The Bad and The Ugly’ movie on his 13.3” personal entertainment screen.

‘In terms of the qualities and profile we look for in our brand ambassadors – we are spreading our wings,’ said SVP of Marketing & Brand at Emirates, Richard Billington. ‘Gerry is a savvy traveller who knows what he wants and where he wants to go- but he’s adamant he’ll do it in style, with luxury and comfort as a priority. Having witnessed his seamless travel experience, we are confident that next time his friends will choose to Fly Better.’Gerry the Goose Bio
Gerry’s career began in Emirates Headquarters in Dubai, where the concept of his journey was ideated and began to take flight. Then onto to Untold Studios in London, where initial 3D models of geese were brought to life via Computer-Generated Imagery (GCI). The CGI and filming process took 14 weeks and involved a talented team finessing every feather along with lighting and texture, while ensuring carefully created movements brought the character to life. This included time to animate Gerry’s friends, a shoot in London to capture the nature scenes, and a shoot on board Emirates’ aircraft in Dubai.

Relatively new to the acting scene, Gerry cites his career highlight so far as being featured in the Emirates TV ad campaign. The ad will run in 25 countries for one month, starting with the USA on the 30th August, followed by Europe.

Throughout filming, Gerry collaborated with British voiceover talent Michael Cronin to capture the dulcet tones of an experienced nature documentarist.

Gerry’s species heritage is Canada goose (Branta canadensis), large wild geese with black heads and necks, white cheeks, white under the chin, and a brown body. They are native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe.

Gerry the Goose admires the acting work of Ryan Gosling, who he says ‘gives him goose bumps’.

Fly Emirates to Dubai and enjoy free tickets to the Museum of the Future, one of Dubai’s most famous landmarks

Journey through possible futures at one of the city’s biggest new attractions with this incredible offer on all bookings made until 2 October 2022

Karachi- Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has launched an exciting new offer for holidaymakers planning a trip to Dubai between 22 September and 8 December 2022. From today, all Emirates customers can now enjoy a complimentary ticket to the Museum of the Future – one of the city’s most famous landmarks.

Starting today, this special offer is valid for all tickets to Dubai purchased using code MFUTURE until 2 October 2022. The offer is available on bookings made on emirates.com, Emirates Call centre or via participating travel agents, for travel from 22 September 2022 until 8 December 2022 in any cabin class.*

The complimentary ticket to The Museum of the Future entitles travellers to one admission during the working hours of the museum and must be booked on museumofthefuture.ae against a redemption code sent by Emirates prior to the planned visit and used latest by 15 December 2022. *

The Museum of the Future is the star attraction everyone’s talking about in Dubai, and are welcoming all ages to see, touch and shape our shared future. Inside an incredible building that’s been dubbed one of the most beautiful in the world, you can explore the future 50 years from now in an incredibly immersive and sensory experience.

Fly into space, explore the wonders of nature, and get closer to the technology that will change the way we live. Kids will love being Future Heroes and taking on challenge missions to create a brighter tomorrow.

Explore more of Dubai with Emirates
Emirates has safely restarted operations to more than 130 destinations, across six continents and currently operates over 53 flights per week from Pakistan to Dubai.

Whether seeking a city break, a beach getaway, a relaxing retreat, a unique desert experience, or a stopover, there is something for every traveller when visiting Dubai. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences.

• Dubai Experience: Customers can now 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, through Emirates’ Dubai Experience platform, and enjoy even more unique benefits.
• Skywards partners: Members of Emirates’ award-winning loyalty programme, Skywards, can earn Miles on everyday spends at retail outlets in the UAE, and redeem these Miles for reward tickets, upgrades, as well as tickets for concerts and sports events. Learn more about Emirates Skywards here: https://www.emirates.com/pk/english/skywards/.

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 United Expand Market Presence Through New Agreement

Emirates customers to connect on United to nearly 200 new cities in the Americas, through Chicago, San Francisco and Houston

Emirates and United announced a historic commercial agreement today that will enhance each airline’s network and give their customers easier access to hundreds of new destinations* within the United States and around the world.

From November, Emirates customers flying into Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston – three of the biggest business hubs in the U.S – will be able to easily connect onto United flights to and from nearly 200 cities across the Americas on a single ticket.

At the eight other U.S. airports served by Emirates – Boston, Dallas, LA, Miami, JFK, Orlando, Seattle and Washington DC – both airlines will have an interline arrangement in place.

United will launch a new direct flight between Newark and Dubai starting in March 2023 – from there, customers will be able to travel on Emirates or its sister airline flydubai to more than 100 cities. Tickets for United’s new Dubai flight are now on sale.

Emirates and United announced their agreement today at a ceremonial event at Dulles International Airport, hosted by United CEO Scott Kirby and Emirates President Sir Tim Clark, featuring United and Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and flight crews from each carrier.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Two of the biggest, and best-known airlines in the world are joining hands to fly people better to more places, at a time when travel demand is rebounding with a vengeance. It’s a significant partnership that will unlock tremendous consumer benefit and bring the United Arab Emirates and the United States even closer. We welcome United’s return to Dubai next year, where our hub Dubai essentially becomes a gateway for United to reach Asia, Africa and the Middle East via the combined network of Emirates and flydubai. We look forward to developing our partnership with United for the long term.”

Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines said: “This agreement unites two iconic, flag carrier airlines who share a common commitment to creating the best customer experience in the skies. United’s new flight to Dubai and our complementary networks will make global travel easier for millions of our customers, helping boost local economies and strengthen cultural ties. This is a proud moment for both United and Emirates employees, and I look forward to our journey together.”

Customers of both airlines can soon book these connecting flights on a single ticket – making check-in and luggage transfer faster and easier. For example – travellers will be able to visit United.com or use the United app to book a flight from New York/Newark to Karachi, Pakistan or go to Emirates.com to book a flight from Dubai to Atlanta or Honolulu.

This agreement will also give the loyalty program members of both airlines more opportunities for more rewards: Emirates Skywards members can soon earn miles when they travel on United operated flights, and United Mileage Plus members flying on United’s New York/Newark to Dubai flight will be able to earn and redeem miles when connecting beyond on Emirates and flydubai.

Eligible customers travelling on codeshare flights will also soon enjoy access to Emirates and United lounges. More details on frequent flyer awards and lounge sharing benefits will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Both airlines have recently announced significant investments in the customer experience. Emirates will retrofit more than 120 aircraft as part of a $2 billion effort that includes elevated meal choices, a brand-new vegan menu, a ‘cinema in the sky’ experience, cabin interior upgrades, and sustainable choices. At United, the airline will add 500 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft to its fleet with a focus on a new signature interior that includes seat-back screens in every seat, larger overhead bins, Bluetooth connectivity throughout, and the industry’s fastest available in-flight WiFi.

Emirates to introduce Premium Economy to five more cities with newly retrofitted A380s starting from December

Emirates today announced plans to debut its newly retrofitted A380s featuring its latest Premium Economy cabins to five new cities from December – New York JFK, San Francisco, Melbourne, Auckland and Singapore. The airline will also add more Premium Economy seats on services to London Heathrow and Sydney, as its newly enhanced aircraft sporting refreshed cabins roll into scheduled service.

The airline aims to offer customers more opportunities to experience its highly acclaimed Premium Economy product, and its latest deployment plans will also see 85 A380s back in the sky by December, well-timed to serve the year-end travel demand.

Emirates’ enhanced A380s with Premium Economy to New York JFK, San Francisco, Melbourne, Auckland and Singapore will operate as follows:

To New York JFK, Emirates will operate with its newly retrofitted A380 on EK203 and EK 204, starting from 1 December.
To Auckland, Emirates will debut its Premium Economy cabin on EK 448 and EK 449, starting 15 January 2023.
From 1 February 2023, Melbourne will become the second Australian destination to be served with the signature Emirates A380 featuring Premium Economy. Services will be deployed on EK 406 and EK 407.
San Francisco will become the second US destination to be served by the retrofitted A380 with refreshed interiors on EK 225 and EK 226, starting on 15 February 2023.
Emirates’ enhanced A380 with Premium Economy will land in Singapore for the first time on 1 March 2023, operating as EK 354 and EK 355.

Emirates will also update its schedules to London Heathrow, Sydney and New York JFK with its retrofitted A380 aircraft operating on the following services:

From 15 December 2022, Sydney will become the first city in the Emirates network to offer Premium Economy seats on all flights, with the introduction of the airline’s retrofitted aircraft on EK 414 and EK 415.
From 1 January 2023, London Heathrow will receive its third daily service with Premium Economy, with the new product debuting on EK 005 and EK 006.
From 15 March 2023, Emirates will operate its second A380 with Premium Economy to New York JFK on EK 201 and EK 202.
Emirates will also start A380 services with a Premium Economy debut to Christchurch from 26 March 2023, as an extension of the Dubai to Sydney service, operating with EK 412 and EK 413.

Scaling up A380 operations

With travel demand the strongest it’s been in more than two years, Emirates will provide customers more choice and a better experience as it ramps up A380 services to 42 destinations by the end of March 2023. In tandem, the airline is optimising its network to meet robust demand and enhancing its existing schedules to over 400 A380 departures from Dubai, offering 460,000 weekly A380 seats by March 2023, including 81,000 seats across its premium cabins, offering the very best in customer comfort.

By year end, the airline will be serving close to a third of its network with its flagship on 85 A380s as it unlocks more destinations like Houston, Bengaluru, Perth, Auckland, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, with additional cities to be announced in the coming weeks. With an expanded list of cities, Emirates will have recovered 75% of its pre-pandemic A380 network. The airline is also adding frequencies to popular cities already served by its flagship, bringing greater resiliency and stability to its operation.

Raising the bar for premium air travel

Since Emirates debuted its Premium Economy Class to London, Paris and Sydney, customer response has been overwhelmingly positive with demand exceeding expectations, demonstrating its appeal and willingness of travellers to trade-up and try the quiet luxury and meticulously customised experience it offers.

On a four-class Emirates A380, the Premium Economy cabin is located at the front of the main deck with 56 seats laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration. In the cabin, every inch of space anticipates customer needs with a generous seat pitch and width for working and relaxing, and customised features that offer function and convenience like in-seat charging points and a side cocktail table. The experience is rounded off with expertly curated in-flight amenities, an inventive menu and extensive beverage options.

The Emirates A380 experience has long been taking passenger comfort to new levels, with an extensive suite of products that turn the journey itself into a destination, including one of the industry’s largest screens for customers to enjoy the airline’s award-winning in-flight entertainment system, ice. Customers travelling in First and Business Class cabins can enjoy the aircraft’s signature features such as the popular Onboard Lounge and fully flat seats in Business Class, as well as private suites and Shower Spas in First Class.

Emirates recently announced plans to kick-off of its fleet retrofit programme, consisting of a multi-billion dollar investment to ensure customers continue to have the best experience in the sky. Starting from November, the airline will begin intensive work to upgrade and retrofit the interior cabins of 67 Airbus A380 and 53 Boeing 777 aircraft, with one aircraft rolling out into service every 16 days. By 2025, nearly 4,000 new Premium Economy seats will be installed, 728 First Class suites refurbished and over 5,000 Business Class seats upgraded to a new style and design.

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the A380, with 118 double-decker aircraft in its fleet. Since A6-EVF, the first A380 reactivated in 2020 began flying, the operating fleet has clocked in more than 31,000 trips worldwide, carrying over 10 million passengers.