Durban - Emirates will launch a daily service from Dubai to Yangon in Myanmar and Hanoi in Vietnam, starting on August 3.
Utilising a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration, this new route will strengthen Emirates’ network of destinations in Southeast Asia, offer a new option to passengers travelling between Hanoi and Yangon, and open up new connections for Myanmese and Vietnamese travellers to access Emirates’ global network.
This new service will expand the airline’s network in Southeast Asia to 12 cities.
Yangon is Myanmar’s commercial capital and largest city with a population of 7.2 million. Since the opening up of tourism in the country, Myanmar has continued to witness an increase in foreign tourist arrivals, in particular attracting those interested in eco-tourism or the country’s many historical temples. With its religious and ancient sites, natural trails and picturesque beaches, Yangon welcomed 1.1 million tourists in 2014, an increase of 25 percent compared with the previous year. As the country’s main hub for trade, industry, real estate and entertainment, Yangon contributes approximately one fifth to the country’s gross domestic product.
Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, is located in the Northern, and as second largest city, has a population of 7 million. Hanoi’s economy has grown from strength to strength since the 1990s, and this is evident from the number of industrial parks and clusters across the city. Renowned for being a cultural hub, the city has a number of historic attractions, as well as Unesco world heritage sites like Ha Long Bay.
Hanoi will be Emirates’ second passenger destination within Vietnam, complementing its existing service to Ho Chi Minh City which was launched in 2012 and a cargo-only service to Hanoi in 2013.
With the daily service to Yangon and Hanoi, Emirates, in co-operation with its regional codeshare partners such as Bangkok Airways and Jetstar – now serves the major capitals and tourist attractions in Southeast Asia, providing the opportunity for tourists in these markets to build travel itineraries covering multiple cities in these destinations.
The three-class configured Boeing 777-300ER, which Emirates will operate on the route, offers eight seats in first class, 42 seats in business class and 310 seats in economy class.
In terms of cargo, up to 20 tons of capacity will be offered in the bellyhold on this service. This is in addition to the 260 tons of cargo capacity each way on our existing weekly cargo-only service between Dubai and Hanoi.
Popular exports on this route are expected to be manufactured garments and seafood from Myanmar.
Timings of the new service have been scheduled to allow for seamless connections to many routes, via a convenient stopover in Dubai.
Sunday Tribune