Norwegian capital becomes third Scandinavian point in network
DUBAI, U.A.E., 2014-9-3 — /Travel PR News/ — Emirates, a global enabler of trade and business, has expanded its Scandinavian reach today with the start of its daily non-stop service to Oslo.
Emirates’ daily flight to Oslo, operated with a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, is the first international service to offer a First Class product in Norway. The inaugural flight today was welcomed by Avinor CEO Dag Falk-Petersen, along with partners from the travel trade and local media. A contingent of Norwegian business leaders based in Dubai also accompanied senior Emirates representatives on the inaugural flight. It is estimated that over 1,200 Norwegians currently reside in the United Arab Emirates.
Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “Our new service to Oslo will play an important role in developing new opportunities for major Norwegian industries through enhanced connectivity via the Dubai hub. Norway’s booming oil, gas, maritime, fishing and telecom sectors will all derive substantial benefits from new links provided by Emirates to over 49 destinations in the Far East and Australasia, West Asia, Indian Ocean and Middle East, resulting in a spectrum of new economic activity. Customers will also be able to experience our flagship A380, connecting to 14 destinations in the Far East, Middle East, Australasia and Indian Ocean. Additionally, more Norwegian travellers will be able to discover Dubai’s cosmopolitan world- class attractions via Emirates’ direct daily service.
Tapping into markets like Norway, which are currently underserviced in terms of international connections, has been a key driver for our success in the past and we are confident that Oslo will be another example of this. We also anticipate healthy demand for our First Class product, which is aligned with the needs of our corporate travelers out of Norway. We consistently invest in and refine our product, and our suites have set the industry standard by providing passengers an exceptional level of privacy coupled with attentive luxury details,” he continued.
CEO of Avinor, Dag Falk-Petersen said: “We are thrilled that Emirates are now launching direct flights between Oslo and Dubai. The partnership with a leading global brand such as Emirates is of great importance for us at Oslo Airport. The new direct route with Emirates facilitates for a host of new travel opportunities to Asia and Australia with only one stop, and provides faster connections to destinations such as Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.”
Supporting Norwegian Trade
The UAE and Norway enjoy a trade relationship estimated at €245 million, and this new service is expected to further enhance economic links between the two countries.
There are nearly 70 Norwegian companies that actively operate in the UAE, with oil, gas and shipping as prominent source industries. Several Norwegian companies are based in Dubai which acts as a hub for their activities in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Well-known companies like Jotun have been actively part of Dubai’s construction industry, most notably providing exterior paint for Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building.
Emirates has also been actively engaging with Norwegian brands such as VOSS, a premium bottled water served since 2011 to Emirates’ First Class passengers on its Boeing 777 fleet and First and Business Class passengers on board its A380 fleet. VOSS is also served in all Emirates lounges in Dubai, as well as its UK lounges. In the last four years, over 10 million bottles of VOSS water have been served aboard Emirates’ flights and in its lounges. The company, whose facilities are based in southern Norway, has grown significantly, adding seven jobs to support its development. Follow the link below to watch how the Emirates and VOSS partnership has grown.
Siri Titlestad President of Voss International Norway ASA stated: “The launch of this new service out of Oslo is yet another one of many significant developments which have characterized our relationship with Emirates Airlines. Voss’ association with a prestigious brand such as Emirates compliments our own brand- as they are always in pursuit of excellence- and always seeking to deliver the finest products when it comes to hospitality. We are honored to be part of their portfolio and on a company level, all of our employees talk about our partnership with pride. Emirates actually has the positive impact of helping Voss be a better place to work.”
Salmon, fresh exports and Emirates SkyCargo
Over 100,000 tonnes of fresh Norwegian salmon are flown to a host of destinations around the world every year from the country. On today’s flight departing Oslo, fresh salmon will be transported in the belly hold of the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER to Dubai and Kuala Lumpur. Live king crabs will also be shipped to Incheon and pharmaceuticals and electronics will also be uplifted and transported to other destinations on Emirates’ global network.
Emirates has had a solid presence in the Norwegian market even before the introduction of daily passenger flights. Its cargo arm has been active in salmon traffic from Norway to other Emirates destinations such as such as Copenhagen, Stockholm, Hamburg, Dusseldorf and Amsterdam.
Air cargo has a vital role in many industries’ global supply chains and Emirates SkyCargo anticipates that with the new service and 23 tonnes of cargo capacity per flight, more time-sensitive salmon and other cargo such as ship spares can be easily transported. Daily services are particularly important to businesses running streamlined operations that depend on rapid delivery of goods.
Emirates’ new daily flight to Oslo departs Dubai as EK159 at 0700hrs* and arrives at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen at 1210hrs*. The return flight, EK160 departs at 1355hrs* and arrives at Dubai International Airport at 2250hrs*.
Throughout all cabin classes, passengers can enjoy over 1,800 channels of on demand entertainment on ice, the airline’s award-winning in-flight entertainment system. Passengers on all Emirates’ flights also have generous baggage allowances with 30 kilogrammes for those travelling in Economy Class, 40 kilogrammes for Business Class and 50 kilogrammes for First Class.
This week, Emirates will further expand in Europe with the launch of Brussels on 5th September. This will be closely followed by Budapest on 27th October.
*Flight times are as per summer schedule
click here to see the video :
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Thierry Antinori EVP and Chief Commercial Officer Emirates and Dag Falk-Petersen CEO of Avinor in Oslo Airport.