Emirates is celebrating 25 years of connecting Australians with over 140 destinations across the world having launched its first service to Sydney on this day in March 2000.
Starting with four weekly flights via Singapore, the airline now offers three daily, direct flights to and from Dubai and beyond. Emirates has connected over nine million passengers with Australia’s iconic harbour city, on more than 35,000 flights.
With three daily flights operated by the iconic four-class A380, Emirates connects travellers to some of the most popular destinations in its global network including London, Manchester, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Milan, Dublin, Rome, Athens, Paris and Beirut.
To mark the anniversary, passengers flying with Emirates between Sydney and Dubai today, 26 Marchm, will have a range of Australian-inspired meals and snacks onboard, including the airline’s version of pavlova, Lamington Cake and Bundt Cake.
Key milestones
In August 2003, Emirates launched its first service between Dubai and Christchurch via Sydney, seamlessly connecting Australians with New Zealand. The success of the service saw the introduction of Emirates’ A380 on the route in October 2016, offering passengers the only opportunity to travel across the Trans-Tasman on an A380.
Emirates opened its Sydney Airport Lounge in February 2006, offering First Class and Business Class passengers a luxurious space to relax and unwind before their flights. The Emirates Lounge in Sydney is one of four lounges in Australia as part of Emirates’ nearly 40 lounge strong network worldwide.
In 2022, Sydney became one of the first cities in Emirates’ global network to receive the new Premium Economy cabin on its refurbished A380 aircraft, as part of the airline’s multi-billion dollar retrofit program. Its popularity and success paved the way for the introduction of an additional daily service from Sydney, two daily services from Melbourne, and a daily service from Brisbane.
Further building on its commitment to enhancing the customer experience, Emirates upgraded its services to an all-A380 operation in 2023, allowing the airline to offer more than 20,300 weekly seats between Sydney and Dubai and offering passengers more choice and access to its award-winning Premium Economy product, upgraded cabins as well as enhanced interiors.
Emirates recently collaborated with Sydney Airport to offer its Premium Check-In, Ascent, to the airline’s customers, providing First Class passengers access to an exclusive check-in area.
In addition to introducing the latest products and services, Emirates has demonstrated its commitment to Sydney and Australia through its formidable sponsorship portfolio, partnering with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in a relationship that dates back to 2002. Through this partnership, Emirates connects fans with talented artists and musicians across the world, solidifying its ongoing support for music and arts globally.
“Sydney is such an iconic city, it’s no wonder that it remains one of our top destinations from Dubai, with over 15,000 passengers flying to and from Sydney with Emirates each week,” Emirates divisional vice president Australasia, Barry Brown, said.
“Over the years, Emirates has responded to growing travel demand with agility, by boosting capacity into Sydney from four-weekly to three-daily direct services and offering more travellers the opportunity to experience the city’s fantastic beaches, stunning harbour and beautiful coastline.
“As we look ahead, we will continue to elevate the customer experience in line with the ever-changing travel trends, bringing industry-leading products to Australia and continuing to offer seamless connectivity to Dubai and beyond.”
Emirates currently operates 77 weekly return services to Australia and offers over 68,000 seats to and from its five major gateways, operating three daily return services from Dubai to Melbourne and Sydney, two daily flights to Brisbane and Perth, and a daily service to Adelaide.
Emirates also facilitates ever important cargo to and from Australia, serving as a critical airlink to help increase investment flows and realise the benefits of the CEPA agreement between the UAE and Australia.
