GUANGZHOU -After Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, Guangzhou has become the fourth destination of Emirates Airlines in China as Dubai's leading airline launched its inaugural flight to the southern Chinese city on Tuesday.



Today, Emirates will be opening its office in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

With flight EK 362, which carried over 220 travellers from across 30 counties from the Dubai International Airport to Baiyun International Airport, Emirates launched a new route between Dubai and Guangzhou. Now, six flights will be running a week to the Chinese city.

A Press conference hosted by Emirates yesterday at Garden Hotel in Guangzhou, was attended by key Chinese government officials, including Gao Youzhen, Consul General of China in the UAE and Li Zhixin, Vice-Director, Guangzhou Municipal Tourism Administrative Commission. Emirates officials included Richard Vaughan, Senior Vice-President, Commercial Operations East Asia and Australia, and Edwin Wing Chu Lau, Vice President Hong Kong and China.

Speaking on the occasion, Vaughan stressed that the launching of the new flights would further bolster the economic and trade exchange between Dubai and Guangzhou. "One of China's key trade partners is Africa. As Emirates has a strong presence in that continent, it will assist the Chinese tourism authorities in their drive to attract more tourists and take the trade momentum between China and Africa to a new height," the Emirates official pointed out.

Vaughan stressed on the important trade and economic history of Guangzhou. "Being a robust exporter of electrical goods and consumer products, Guangzhou has very strong connections with Europe and Africa. The importance of Guangzhou lies in being China's third major air hub and a leading manufacturing centre," Vaughan said.

The Emirates official pointed out that the airline's flights from Guangzhou connected to Europe and Africa, particularly to the UK, France, Germany, South Africa, Kenya, Cote D'Ivoire and Ghana, within 4-7 hours of transit time in Dubai.

Gao Youzhen, the Chinese Consul General in the UAE, was confident the new flights between Dubai and Guangzhou would be of much interest to businessmen and traders. "Tourists will also be using the service. I think it's a successful strategic option. Economic and trade exchange will be bolstered. Cultural exchange too will receive a major boost," he said.

Emirates will operate the route with an ultra-modern A330-200 aircraft, in two-class configuration offering 27 Business Class seats and 251 Economy Class seats as well as 13.6 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity.

From October 1, the service will become daily. Effective December 1, Emirates plans to serve the route with a Boeing 777-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration with 290 seats, 12 in First, 42 in Business and 236 in Economy class, with 18 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity.

The inaugural flight ceremony featured a colourful and vibrant dragon dance.

On July 1, Emirates also launched new flights to Kozhikode, a key commercial and tourist centre in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

There will be as many as six flights a week to Kozhikode