CHENNAI
Emirates has completed 25 years of operations in Chennai, underscoring the growing importance of South India in its global network.
Since its inaugural flight on September 1, 2000, the Dubai-based carrier has transported more than 10.7m passengers on 38,000 flights between Chennai and Dubai, making the route a cornerstone of its South Asia portfolio.
The anniversary was marked on Monday with a water cannon salute for flight EK544 at Chennai International Airport. On Saturday, Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin, his wife Durga Stalin and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin joined an event to commemorate the occasion. The chief minister later left for Germany.
“Chennai remains one of our cornerstone markets in India,” said Mohammad Sarhan, Emirates’ vice-president for India and Nepal. “We are delighted to celebrate 25 years of connecting the city to our global network. The support of authorities and stakeholders has been invaluable to our success.”
Emirates has played a central role in expanding Chennai’s international reach, connecting both corporate and leisure passengers to destinations across six continents. The airline sees strong outbound demand for US cities such as San Francisco, New York and Dallas, alongside European hubs including London, Paris and Frankfurt, a release stated.
Emirates currently serves nine Indian cities, with South India expected to drive an increasing share of growth in the years ahead. Beyond passenger services, Emirates SkyCargo has been instrumental in linking Chennai’s farmers, manufacturers and small businesses with global markets. It continues to move high-value and time-sensitive commodities ranging from perishables to electronics and engineering goods. In the last financial year, Emirates SkyCargo uplifted 19,300 tonnes of cargo from Chennai, including fresh produce, pharmaceuticals and general cargo — supporting local exporters with access to global trade.
No comments:
Post a Comment