Emirates is stepping up connections between the UK and Australia with extra capacity to Brisbane and Perth.
One of two daily flights between Dubai and Brisbane is being upgraded to an Airbus A380 superjumbo from October 1 while a second daily frequency to Perth is being re-introduced from December 1.
The expansion comes as the airline’s forward booking data shows strong demand in bookings from the UK to Australia, including Brisbane and Perth.
More: Emirates to recruit 5,000 more cabin crew members
Emirates reports strong forward bookings for 2024
Emirates Group reports ‘best-ever’ financial results
The carrier also reported a rise in premium economy bookings on flights to Australia, with outbound levels from the UK up 18% and inbound up 29%.
Emirates’ four-class A380s currently serves 12 destinations worldwide, including Sydney and Melbourne.
Australasia divisional vice president Barry Brown said: “The ramp up is a testament to our commitment in enhancing global connectivity to our Australian gateways and supporting tourism and trade growth opportunities.”
Brisbane airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff said: “The A380 will allow up to 100,000 extra passengers per year to travel between Queensland and Europe, which is Brisbane’s second busiest international destination. Now in its 21st year of serving Brisbane, Emirates is our number one mover of people to and from Europe.”
Perth airport chief operating officer Scott Woodward added: “The re-introduction of Emirates’ second daily service is great news as it will add significant capacity into the Perth market. Emirates is an important airline partner for Western Australia and this additional daily service delivers an impressive 250,000 seats per year on this very popular route.
“Not only does the new service mean that there are more options for business and leisure travel, but the increased capacity will lead to many more international visitors coming to Western Australia.
“The return of this second daily service shows the commitment and confidence that Emirates has in the Western Australian market, and we will be working with the airline to ensure this second service is as popular as its current one.”
Western Australian government acting tourism minister John Carey said that the announcement “represents another important step forward in rebuilding WA’s aviation capacity and further strengthens Perth’s global reputation as the western gateway to Australia.
“Securing additional direct aviation services is absolutely vital to driving more travellers to our state, injecting visitor spend into our economy, and creating jobs in the tourism and hospitality industries.
“We’re really proud to have brought back or secured new non-stop flights to 19 global cities since borders reopened, and this is just another vote of confidence in Western Australia as a tourism destination.”