Emirates restarts Adelaide-Dubai route
Emirates has restarted daily direct flights between the UAE and the South Australian capital for the first time since the pandemic shut down the route in 2020.
The Adelaide-Dubai route restarted on Monday and is expected to inject $160 million into the local economy each year, through tourism and freight operations.
Over 4,200 passengers will be able to fly between the two destinations each week and over 220,400 each year.
The Dubai flights also offer another one-stop connection between Adelaide and Europe, elevating the accessibility of Adelaide as a business events destination by providing more flight options for delegates from Europe to attend global meetings in South Australia.
“Now South Australia is even more appealing to some of our key international markets, as Emirates eases the connection between our great state and over 140 destinations worldwide,” said South Australia’s tourism minister, Zoe Bettison.
“Emirates’ return will be a major player in our efforts to grow the state’s international market, which is currently worth $1.3 billion to South Australia’s visitor economy.”
Emirates executive vice president of passenger sales and country management, Nabil Sultan, said Australia remained a priority market for Emirates.
“The return of our Adelaide service reinforces our commitment to expanding our Australia network, which now offers 70 weekly services across five Australian cities.
“We extend our gratitude to the South Australian Tourism Commission and Adelaide Airport in assisting our return to the city.”
More flights between Perth and Hong Kong
Meanwhile Cathay Pacific has almost doubled its flights between Perth and Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong carrier has increased its number of direct services between the two cities from six to 11 per week, with the extra flights starting earlier this week.
The flights add another 70,000 inbound seats to Perth annually.
“The increased flight frequency will not only enhance connectivity but also provide a significant boost to our local economy by attracting more tourists and business travellers – and more direct flights to WA broadens our appeal as a location for investment,” said Western Australia’s tourism minister, Rita Saffioti.
Including other international services that have been announced but have not yet taken to the skies – for example China Southern Airlines’ direct flights between Guangzhou and Perth, which begin next month – Perth is now serviced by 25 international airlines and has direct connections with 20 global destinations, including non-stop flights to Paris and London.
