Emirates to fly to Calicut

Boosting air connections between the booming Indian and Arabian Gulf economies, Kozhikode will become the third city in the state of Kerala to be served with non-stop Emirates flights from Dubai, after the airline introduced services to Kochi in 2002 and Thiruvananthapuram in 2006. Kozhikode will also become Emirates' 10th destination in India.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group, said:

"Kozhikode and the state of Kerala have a long-standing trade relationship with the Arabian peninsula that extends back into history. We are delighted to be able to provide a non-stop air link between Dubai and Kozhikode, which will help increase trade opportunities, and also make it more convenient for the large non-resident Indian community in the Gulf to visit their families and friends."

"We intend to continue promoting the beautiful state of Kerala and to bring more international tourists into the state through all our three gateways."

On the Dubai-Kozhikode route, Emirates will initially operate its Boeing 777-200 and Airbus A330-200 aircraft, offering over 4,000 Business and Economy class seats and close to 200 tonnes of cargo capacity per week in both directions.

Onboard, passengers can look forward to attentive service from Emirates' international cabin crew, ergonomically-designed seats for extra comfort, and modern inflight amenities including personal in-seat entertainment screens in all classes with email and text messaging.

Emirates' new flights to Kozhikode will offer travellers excellent connections to and from the Gulf region in particular, apart from other destinations in Emirates' network. Kozhikode is a popular tourist destination with scenic beaches, heritage sites and numerous cultural arts and festivals. It is also a trade and marketing centre for commodities such as spices, rubber and industrial exports.

Dubai-Kozhikode flight schedule, from 1st July 2008:

Mondays, Tuesdays,Wednesdays, and Fridays
EK562 Departs Dubai at 14:15 hours and arrives in Kozhikode at 19:50 hours
EK563 Departs Kozhikode at 21:20 hours and arrives in Dubai at 23:40 hours

Thursdays, Saturdays
EK560 Departs Dubai at 03:30 hours and arrives in Kozhikode at 09:05 hours
EK561 Departs Kozhikode at 10:35 hours and arrives in Dubai at 12:55 hours

Emirates currently operates 99 weekly flights from Dubai to nine gateways in India: Ahmedabad, Mumbai (Bombay), Bangalore, Chennai (Madras), Kochi, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Thiruvananthapuram. Its fast-expanding global route network comprise 99 cities in 62 countries across six continents. This year, in addition to Khozikode, Emirates has also announced it will start services to Cape Town on 30th March.