Dubai-based Emirates plans to start a daily service to Bologna, Italy, from November 3.

The capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna will be Emirates’ fourth Italian destination bringing Emirates’ weekly flights to Italy to 56.

Set to be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER in a three class configuration, Emirates will offer the only long-haul wide-bodied service to and from Bologna. The new flight will add 5,040 international seats per week to and from the city, enabling customers in Bologna and the surrounding region to conveniently access key Emirates destinations in the Far East, Middle East, Africa and West Asia.

Known as the ‘European Capital of Culture’ Bologna is a vibrant economic and tourism centre as well as being the perfect stepping off point for travellers looking to explore the neighbouring cities of Florence, Verona, Parma and Pisa.

“The addition of a fourth Italian gateway is another new and exciting development for Emirates. We have been committed to Italy for over 23 years and in that time we have played an important role in increasing opportunities for business and tourism across the country, thanks to our convenient connections to over 49 destinations in the Far East, Middle East and Africa,” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ executive vice president and chief commercial officer.

“Our three class Boeing 777 product is second to none, offering our customers unrivalled comfort across the board. We offer one of the best inflight products in the sky, with multi-award winning cuisine and inflight entertainment and we are proud to be bringing this to Bologna. As the industrial epicentre of Italy we expect to see strong demand from both the passenger and cargo side of our business, taking advantage of convenient access to our extensive network in the East including our home, Dubai, one of the fastest growing economic centres in the world,” Antinori said.

Home to a large ethnic community Emirates expects to see strong outbound traffic from Bologna to key destinations in the East across India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines thanks to the airline’s convenient connection times via Dubai. Top destinations for inbound travel to Bologna are expected to come from the UAE, Japan, China, India and Australia comprising of a mix of trade and tourism traffic.

Passengers to and from Bologna will enjoy unrivalled comfort and amenities on board Emirates' Boeing 777-300ER which is equipped with eight luxurious private suites in First Class, 42 of its latest lie-flat seats in Business Class, and generous space for 310 passengers in Economy Class.

Throughout all cabin classes, passengers can enjoy more than 2,000 channels of entertainment on demand on ice, the airline's award-winning in-flight entertainment system. Passengers on all Emirates flights also have the added bonus of a generous baggage allowance with 30 kg for those travelling in Economy Class, 40 kg for Business Class and 50 kg in First Class.

Emirates currently operates a triple daily flight to Rome and Milan and daily flight to Venice. Emirates also operates a daily flight to New York from Milan which will be operated by an A380 aircraft from June 1.

With the launch of Bologna Emirates will increase its European network to 38 destinations. – TradeArabia News Service