As part of its commitment to support inbound tourism to the island nation of Mauritius, Emirates announced on Monday that it will introduce a third daily flight, starting on December 1.
The additional service, to be operated by a Boeing 777 aircraft as EK709/710, will complement existing schedules and support the travel plans of Emirates customers planning trips to the popular destination from across its network of more than 140 points.
“We have been proudly serving Mauritius since 2002, and our double daily A380 services have been a major success and contributor to the growth of the country’s tourism industry. The additional daily service on our wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft will enable a more than 30 percent increase in capacity on the route, while also providing additional flight options for leisure and business travellers to seamlessly connect to flights,’ said Adnan Kazim, deputy president and chief commercial officer, Emirates.
Airline bolsters codeshare partnership with Air Mauritius
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, currently serves Mauritius with two daily services aboard its flagship A380 aircraft, operating as EK701/702 and EK703/704. The addition of the third daily service, under a codeshare arrangement with Air Mauritius, will provide convenient flight timings to support travel itineraries and enable seamless connectivity for customers from the Middle East, Europe and the Americas travelling to the Indian Ocean holiday spot.
The additional daily service will also provide seamless connections from and to Far East markets, where Emirates will actively promote the destination to audiences in Japan, China, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
Passengers can now book seats to the exotic island destination in First Class, Business Class and Economy Class on flight EK709, to operate daily and departing Dubai at 06:55 hrs and arriving in Mauritius at 13:40 hrs. Flights from Mauritius, operating as EK710, will depart Mauritius at 18:30 hrs and arrive in Dubai at 01:10 hrs the next day.
“We recently reaffirmed our codeshare partnership with Air Mauritius and our shared commitment to putting the destination on the global stage by facilitating steady growth in tourist demand for visits to Mauritius. We are also pleased to support and complement the operations of the national carrier, whose services have contributed to our success on this route. The additional daily service will allow both airlines to meet demand from global travellers,” added Kazim.
Read: Saudi Arabia launches King Fahd Airport master plan, announces $426.5 million projects
Emirates carries over 8.8 million passengers to Mauritius
Since Emirates launched its scheduled services to Mauritius in 2002, the airline has carried more than 8.8 million passengers and more than 126 thousand tonnes of cargo on flights to and from Mauritius.
Its passenger and cargo operations have generated significant economic and social contributions, including $119 million in direct contribution from Emirates’ flights, $264 million in tourism receipts, as well as $530 million to the Mauritian economy through tourism-related spending.
Emirates’ operations have also had an immense impact on uplifting the economy and supported the creation of 3,600 jobs in the nation. In addition, hundreds of Mauritians work for Emirates, from pilots and cabin crew to engineering, customer service and corporate roles.
The airline has also succeeded in driving demand across its global network thanks to its long-standing partnership with Air Mauritius, since 2003, and Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), allowing both the airline and tourism body to collaborate on joint initiatives that showcase the appeal of Mauritius to stakeholders in key markets, since 2012.
The airline currently operates 14 flights per week between Dubai and Mauritius on the airline’s flagship A380 aircraft, with a weekly capacity of more than 15,000 seats. Besides being the only airline offering services on the double-decker aircraft to the island, Emirates is also the only airline providing seats in First Class cabins.