Dubai-based Emirates airline will launch daily services to the 2014 Fifa World Cup host city of Rio de Janeiro from January 3, 2012.

The new direct service to Rio de Janeiro, with an onward extension to Buenos Aires, will provide seamless connections to Emirates’ network of more than 100 destinations worldwide, a statement from the airline said.

Over 800 guests from the government, travel industry and wider business community attended a gala celebration at Pier Maua where they were given the opportunity to see the Fifa World Cup Trophy, which was on display at the event.

“As Emirates’ second Brazilian gateway, our new Rio de Janeiro service will add extra impetus to the vibrant Brazilian economy, boosting tourism and underpinning the city’s status as a leading hub for business and trade, particularly within the oil and gas industries,” said Thierry Antinori, executive vice president, passenger sales worldwide.

“Emirates anticipates strong demand for both leisure and business travel to Rio de Janeiro, especially as Brazil will host a series of world-class events over the next few years, including the 2013 Confederations Cup, the 2014 Fifa World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, said Antinori. “As a partner of the 2014 World Cup, Emirates is proud that we have a role to play in making the tournament a success, and we look forward to bringing football fans from across our global network to this not-to-be-missed event.”

“This new Emirates flight is a big win for Rio de Janeiro as it will feed global traffic into the city, boosting tourism and creating new opportunities for trade between this market and numerous emerging economies,” said Rodrigo Solano, manager of markets and business, Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.

Rio de Janeiro, also known as the ‘Marvellous City,’ is renowned for its spectacular natural setting. The city, which is home to Sugar Loaf Mountain, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches as well as the famous Maracana Football Stadium, receives more visitors than any other city in South America, welcoming an estimated 2.8 million international tourists each year.

The new service will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, arranged in a three-class configuration, offering eight first class private suites, 42 lie-flat beds in business class, and a spacious cabin in economy class with 304 seats.

Passengers can enjoy the latest version of Emirates’ multi award-winning ice entertainment system, which offers over 1,200 channels of movies, TV shows and music, including Portuguese language versions and Brazilian and Latin American music.  – TradeArabia News Service