Dozen wings to Dubai this winter

Calcutta: British Airways did not find it viable to operate even one flight a week from Calcutta but Emirates will fly a dozen a week from the city this winter.
The Dubai-based airline, which launched its operations in Calcutta in 2006 and now has a daily flight, will have two flights a day on five days of the week and one each on the other two days. The additional flights will start operating from the first week of December.
This is the first time that Calcutta will have “regular double daily flights” to any international destination. One flight will take off from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 8.30pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and arrive in Dubai at 12.30am. The other flight will operate daily, taking off at 8.55am and arriving in Dubai at 12.55pm.
The seven Calcutta flights are said to be recording an 80 per cent-plus average passenger load, on the wings of the withdrawal of British Airways and Gulf Air.
Emirates sources said the airline would be able to add the extra flights after acquiring a new aircraft in December. To lure passengers, the airline is also offering pick-up and drop for first class and business class passengers.
Calcutta airport officials were upbeat with the news of Emirates increasing frequency.
29/04/09 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Apr 2009, Foreign Apr 2009