Emirates says that plans are in top gear to make Johannesburg,
the industrial and economic capital of South Africa, the next
destination slated for its flagship A380 aircraft service. The
airline's daily A380 service to Johannesburg will commence as from
1 October 2011.
The announcement of Emirates' first
scheduled A380 service to Africa comes as the airline unveiled its
full year financial results for 2010-11. It notes that the results
revealed a surge in the number of South African travellers flying
with Emirates - with total passenger growth up 12 percent over the
previous financial year. Overall revenue from the South African
market also rose sharply, up 34 percent from 2009-10. "We
have enjoyed a successful partnership with South Africa since
launching services in 1995, and now connect our Johannesburg, Cape
Town and Durban gateways to our vast global network through 42
non-stop flights each week to Dubai," remarks Mr. Tim Clark,
President, Emirates Airlines. Meanwhile, the airline reveals that
it has launched an additional weekly flight between Dubai and
Tunis. Emirates states that it will now operate four flights per
week to Tunis from its hub in Dubai.