Emirates brings West Africa closer with launch of new Dakar route - Printable Version - Tops Sri Lanka

Delegates representing the inaugural flight to Dakar. (from left to right): CEO Dubai Export Development Corporation Saed Al Awadi, Chief Administrative Office, Dept of Economic Affairs, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce Amgd Awad Alkarim Idriss, Manager - Commercial Business Development for Africa, Emirates Airline Mohammed Riza, Director General of Air Transport of Senegal Cheikh Tidiane Senghor, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for Africa & the Americas, Emirates Airline Nigel Page, Ambassador and Director of African Affairs Dept, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Essa Abdulla Albasha Alnoaimi, U.A.E.; Ambassador and Director General of International Cooperation of the Government of Senegal; Cheikh Ibrahima Doing, Ambassador of Senegal in Saudi Arabia; Mohammadou Doudou, Ambassador of Senegal in the U.A.E. Abdourahmanne Diop and Moustapha Yacine Gueye.

Emirates has strengthened its links to West Africa with the launch of a new direct service to Dakar.

Emirates flight EK 797 serves the airline's 105th destination, creating the only non-stop, scheduled passenger link between Dubai and Senegal.

The new route will cut current journey times to Dakar by around the equivalent of an eight hour working day, creating an easy, fast and convenient service for business and leisure travellers.

Commercial Operations Senior Vice President Nigel Page said this marks a new chapter in air travel between the Middle East and West Africa.

No more passengers will travelling to and from Senegal face long detours to Europe or other parts of Africa to reach their final destination.

"Instead, they can enjoy the convenience of a non-stop air link with Dubai, seamless connections to key centres in the Middle East, the Indian Sub-continent, Asia and the Far East through our state-of-the-art Terminal 3, a very competitive baggage allowance and the award-winning in-flight service for which Emirates is renowned."

Courtesy: DailyNews