Emirates to fly to New Zealand from August 1

From that date, Emirates' daily flights to Sydney and Melbourne will be extended on to Auckland providing a total of 14 flights weekly in each direction.

Emirates daily flights to Brisbane, scheduled to start October 26, will also be extended to Auckland, increasing Emirates' services across the Tasman Sea to 21 weekly. The airline has full traffic rights between Auckland and all three Australian gateways.

Sheikh Ahmed said: "The UAE and New Zealand have enjoyed an air services agreement for some years. These new services follow the recent agreement on traffic rights between the governments of Australia and the UAE, which allows Emirates to operate with full traffic rights from all points in Australia. Our flights offer Australian and New Zealand passengers a greater choice of carrier across the Tasman Sea. I am grateful to the Australian Government for the opportunity this affords us to extend trade and leisure travel opportunities in this increasingly popular region of the world."

Sheikh Ahmed added: "When Emirates introduces non-stop flights to Sydney on October 26, we will offer an unrivalled one-stop service between Dubai and New Zealand."

Emirates, is based in Dubai, a total open skies environment. The airline has never received protection or financial subsidy from the Dubai Government. Yet, it is not only among the world's fastest-growing airlines, it is also one of the world's five most profitable.

The new services will delight the New Zealand community in the UAE, increase trade between the two countries and open up a stunningly beautiful and extremely safe destination for leisure travellers from the Middle East.

They will also offer passengers to Auckland a choice of departure times from Dubai, varying with the three different gateways used. The flights will be operated with a Boeing 777-300 aircraft in three-class configuration offering 18 First, 42 Business and 320 Economy seats plus cargo capacity of 17 to 20 tonnes.

Auckland, located on New Zealand's North Island, is called the City of Sails because of its extensive sailing and water sports facilities. Not only is it New Zealand's business capital, the city was recently ranked fifth-equal (alongside Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Bern and Sydney) in the annual quality-of-life survey of 215 cities by the global consultancy Mercer Human Resource Consulting

Auckland's fertile valleys and offshore islands are home to award-winning wineries. Family attractions abound and the city has plenty of adrenaline for adventure lovers. Auckland also offers shopping, nightlife and unrivalled cuisine.

Auckland's international airport offers a wide range of restaurants, shops and recreational facilities for both adults and children plus care for passengers with special needs. These include playgrounds and day-rooms for children, a museum, golf and a gym.

Emirates flights schedules are as follows, with all times given being local.

Flights via Sydney
Daily flights will depart Dubai at 0815, arrive Singapore at 1935, depart Singapore at 2045 and arrive Sydney at 0605 the following day. The flight will then depart Sydney at 0735 and arrive Auckland at 1225.

Return flights will depart Auckland at 1750, arrive Sydney at 1905, depart Sydney at 2020, arrive Singapore at 0215 the following day, depart Singapore at 0325 and arrive Dubai at 0625. These flights will be operated with a Boeing 777-300

With the introduction of the super long-range Airbus A340-500 on the route from October 26, flights will depart Dubai at 1015 and arrive Sydney at 0710 the following day. Flights will depart Sydney at 0835 and arrive Auckland at 1330.

The return flights will depart Auckland at 1935, arrive Sydney at 2045, depart Sydney at 2200 and arrive Dubai at 0540 the following day.

Flights via Melbourne
Daily flights will depart Dubai at 0220, arrive Singapore at 1405, depart Singapore at 1520 and arrive Melbourne at 0035 the following day. The flights will depart Melbourne at 0830 and arrive Auckland at 1400.

The return flights will depart Auckland at 1600, arrive Melbourne at 1750, depart Melbourne at 1905, arrive Singapore at 0100 the following day, depart Singapore at 0210 and arrive Dubai at 0515.

Flights via Brisbane
Starting October 26, flights will depart Dubai at 0830, arrive Singapore at 1935, depart Singapore at 2045, arrive Brisbane at 0605 the following day, depart Brisbane at 0735 and arrive Auckland at 1330.

The return flights will depart Auckland at 1835, arrive Brisbane at 1900, depart Brisbane at 2015, arrive Singapore at 0145 the following day, depart Singapore at 0300 and arrive Dubai at 0620.