Emirates airline spreading wings in India

Dubai, Nov 3 (IANS) The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) national airline Emirates is embarking on a major expansion drive in India this winter with the addition of 31 flights a week.

With this, the airline's reputation as the largest international carrier to operate in India will be reaffirmed as the number of weekly flights to 10 destinations in India will touch 163, the official Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

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'Owing to the liberalisation of the Indian skies and growing demand for air travel, Emirates is extending its presence in India,' Salem Obaidalla, Dubai-based airline's senior vice-president for commercial operations in West Asia, Indian Ocean and Africa, was quoted as saying.

'Our winter expansion - the single largest growth in our operations - closely follows the extension of services in the summer of this year, and represents our commitment to the market and our confidence in its potential,' he said.

The expansion will be implemented in a phased manner and the key cities of Mumbai and New Delhi will be the main beneficiaries.

Other important commercial hubs, including Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi, will also be served with additional flights.

'The additional frequencies have been timed to offer passengers more consistent schedules and seamless connections to onward points in Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East,' Obaidalla said.

The UAE is home to around 1.5 million expatriate Indians.