Emirates airline will launch six-weekly non-stop services to the south Indian city of Kozhikode (Calicut), starting July 1.

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.
 
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of 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.  -TradeArabia News Service