Emirates has announced that it will be increasing frequency of flights to Dublin to Daily in October. The UAE carrier says that it is looking forward to connecting more passengers to and from the capital of Ireland via its Dubai hub.
In the last month or so, Emirates has made several positive announcements regarding flights to the British Isles. The airline recently announced that it will operate 73-weekly flights to four United Kingdom gateways by mid-October following the removal of the United Arab Emirates from the UK’s red list. Now, with Ireland reopen for non-essential travel, the carrier is boosting its services to the country.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ireland was a strong market for Emirates. However, as the pandemic took its toll on the aviation industry, the airline had to scale back its operations to the country. Now, as conditions to travel slowly improve, the airline is keen to meet the demand.
Starting 1st October 2021, Emirates will increase frequency of flights to Dublin, Ireland, to daily. While this is less than the double-daily flights which the carrier used to operate pre-pandemic, this is a welcome boost for the travel industry and for Ireland as a whole. The flights will operate with the following schedule:
- Dubai-Dublin
- Departure time: 07:15
- Arrival time: 12:10
- Flight time: 7 hours and 55 minutes
- Flight number: EK161
- Dublin-Dubai
- Departure time: 14:15
- Arrival time: 00:45 (the next day)
- Flight time: 7 hours and 30 minutes
- Flight number: EK162
Enda Corneille, Country Manager, Ireland, Emirates, via Ireland’s Travel Trade Network, said:
We are seeing significant growth in demand both into and out of Dublin since the lifting of travel restrictions in Ireland in July. During the early days of the pandemic we were operating just two flights a week from Dublin, growing to four on the back of demand for our cargo business. So today’s news is a fantastic boost in confidence for international travel; it’s a welcome boost for the travel industry and for our customers. We are hopeful that the coming months will see the resumption of our double daily service from Dublin, which, for us, will be a return to ‘normal.’
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Ireland eased entry restrictions on 19th July 2021. Those entering in the country that haven’t been in ‘designated country’ in the past 14 days do not have to undergo any travel-relating testing or quarantine if they have been vaccinated or can prove that they have recovered from COVID-19.
However, those who are not vaccinated or have a proof of recovery will have to present a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result taken within 72 hours before arriving in Ireland. They will also have to quarantine at home and take a post-arrival test.
Additionally, the Irish government highlights that quarantine is not required in Dubai unless a passenger is required to take a further RT-PCR test on arrival. In this instance, the traveler must self-isolate until they receive a negative result. However, in the ever-changing global situation, it’s recommended to check the entry requirements with your airline ahead of travel.
The Dubai-based carrier is not the only carrier that has been eyeing up Ireland and its neighbors over the last week. Norwegian recently revealed plans to operate 142-weekly flights between Ireland and the UK in Summer 2022.
Meanwhile, Emirates recently launched a new account-based payment system called ‘Emirates Pay’. The airline has also reopened on its dedicated First Class lounge at Dubai International Airport and has launched an all-new airport service at Dubai International Airport to assist passengers more better. The carrier has launched flights to Miami, Florida making it the airline’s 12th destination in the United States. The airline has ramped up its operations across its network in response to pent-up demand. Emirates has resumed flights to Glasgow and has added a second Airbus A380 service to New York. Emirates Skywards has announced the launch of Skywards+ to offer its members access to exclusive rewards. Emirates, in the past month, has signed codeshare and interline agreements with two airlines. The airline has expanded partnership with South Africa’s Airlink, has announced an interline partnership with Mexico’s Aeromar and has announced codeshare with Brazil’s Azul.
Featured image by Emirates
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