Dubai-based Emirates airline is set to commence services to Hungary from October 27 with a daily flight to the capital Budapest.

 

The airline will offer 278 seats per day on the Dubai-Budapest route, operating a wide-body A330-200 aircraft in a two-class configuration, said a statement.

 

With the launch of the daily service, passengers in Hungary will have greater connectivity to key business and trading centres in the Far East and in the Middle East, it said.

 

The Emirates’ new Budapest route coincides with the opening of the airline’s Customer Contact Centre in the city this October. The new Emirates office and Customer Contact Centre will support 300 local jobs, resulting in a multi-million dollar investment in the local economy.

 

Tim Clark, Emirates president, said: “Connectivity and mobility are crucial in today’s global economy, and our service to Budapest will open up a world of opportunity for people in Hungary. It will introduce faster connections for our customers - both passengers and exporters – through our Dubai hub to numerous points that are currently underserved, including Sydney, Taipei and Phuket. 

 

“These vital connections will inject new demand for travel, help boost bilateral trade with markets in the East, and magnify the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy. Ultimately, our global network benefits our customers.”

 

“Budapest will be the third European destination we launch services to this financial year, highlighting our continued investment in the region. We also continue to add frequencies and much needed seat capacity on many of our existing European routes,” he added.

 

Considered a financial hub in Central Europe, Budapest currently has the fifth largest economy in Central and Eastern Europe and offers a very favourable business environment for global investors. The UAE is Hungary’s largest Arab trading partner with annual trade between the two countries pegged at around $1.2 billion.

 

The Emirates SkyCargo will offer 12 tonnes of cargo capacity in each direction, with popular export commodities from Hungary expected to be machinery, spare parts and foodstuff. The cargo division also expects to transport garments, raw materials and electronics.

 

Emirates will also launching two other destinations to Europe - Oslo (Norway) on September 2 and Brussels (Belgium) September 5. - TradeArabia News Service