Dubai-based Emirates Airline is bridging the Middle East and Far East – two regions that continue to record healthy growth rates – with the launch of additional flights to Malaysia and Indonesia starting from May 1.

The airline plans to start double daily flights to Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and introduce three additional weekly flights to Jakarta from its hub in Dubai, said a senior official.

The announcement closely follows the release of World Bank forecasts that point to 5.3 per cent rise in the gross domestic product of the Far East region this year.

“Despite the current economic environment, the Middle East and Far East regions continue to register growth in their Travel and Tourism industries. In the Far East these industries are expected to post average annual gains of 6.3 per cent over the coming 10 years," said Richard Vaughan, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president, Commercial Operations Worldwide.

"While Malaysia continues to be a leading holiday destination, Indonesia is investing significantly in developing its Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (Mice) infrastructure in order to get a slice of the bustling conference market in the Far East," he noted.

"We are also noticing a growing outbound tourism market from these countries as Malaysians and Indonesians increasingly embark on overseas holidays. Emirates’ growing services will provide the infrastructure to support this growth," he added.

Emirates will expand its current daily service to 10 flights a week. The three additional flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and will introduce over 1,200 passenger seats and 50 tonnes of cargo capacity per week per direction, Vaughan said.

EK342 will depart Dubai on Wednesdays at 10:30am, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 09:35pm. Return flight EK343 will depart Kuala Lumpur the following morning at 2am, arriving in Dubai at 04:50am (local time).

EK346 will depart Dubai every Sunday at 03.15am, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 02:15pm. It will turnaround as EK347, taking off from Kuala Lumpur at 07.30pm and arriving in Dubai at 10.20pm.

EK358 will depart Dubai at 10.55am and arrive in Jakarta at 10:35pm. On return, EK357 will take off from Jakarta at 05.55pm and arrive in Dubai at 10:45pm.

The flights provide business travellers smooth connections to Johannesburg, Kuwait, Muscat, Doha and Bahrain, and support the Indonesian government’s initiatives to boost trade and commerce with Africa and Middle East.

The extra cargo capacity will advance Indonesian exports of garments, leather, shoes and tropical fish to Europe, North America, Africa, Middle East, and the Indian sub-continent.-TradeArabia News Service