KARACHI, Oct 24 (DNA): The first Emirates flight took off on 25 October
1985 from Dubai to Karachi, marking the birth of a global airline and
the establishment of an air transport link between the UAE and Pakistan
that has grown from strength to strength, contributing to tourism and
trade flows between both countries.

On Saturday, Emirates currently serves customers in Pakistan with 53
weekly flights. Since its launch, Emirates has operated more than
116,500 roundtrip flights between Pakistan and Dubai, carrying more than
28 million passengers to Pakistan, from Pakistan to Dubai and
destinations beyond.

Following its Karachi operations, Emirates launched flights to Peshawar
in 1998; Islamabad and Lahore in 1999; and Sialkot in 2013,
progressively growing its presence in Pakistan in line with customer
demand for high quality air services both inbound and outbound. The
airline continues to play a vital role in serving communities across
Pakistan, providing global connectivity for business and leisure
travellers alike. Emirates currently operates flights to Karachi,
Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Sialkot – utilising its wide-body Boeing
777-300ER aircraft, and connecting customers to Dubai, and to more than
95 destinations worldwide, via Dubai.

Emirates SkyCargo, the airline’s freight division, also plays an
instrumental role in driving economic activity and helping support the
country’s local exporters and businesses to connect to more than 120
cargo destinations. Over the past 10 years, Emirates SkyCargo has helped
transport over 750,000 tonnes of cargo into and out of Pakistan –
including main exports of fish, meat and vegetables and main imports of
pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

Saturday, more than 555,000 Pakistani nationals and residents are
enrolled in Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme of
Emirates and flydubai – allowing members to redeem fantastic benefits
and rewards on flights, hotel stays as well as retail and lifestyle
experiences supported by the airline.

Emirates is one of the world’s largest international airlines with a
global footprint across six continents. Pakistani customers can fly
safer and better on Emirates as the airline has implemented a
comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to
ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in
the air. Since its inception, the airline has been recognised by more
than 500 international awards for operational excellence, innovative
services and industry leading products – making Emirates one of the
world’s most recognized airline brands. DNA

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