Dubai-based Emirates is slated to begin serving Brussels daily from September 5.
The Belgian capital is also the de facto capital of the European Union, hosting the European Commission, the European Council as well as over 120 other international organisations. The city will become the airline's 147th destination, closely following Oslo in Norway (see story). The non-stop service will be operated by a Boeing 777-200LR with 266 seats in a three-class configuration, with eight private first class suites, 42 business seats and 216 economy seats. That will make Emirates the first international airline to offer a first class product between Brussels and the Middle East and Asia.
“As the centre of European politics and a hub of economic activity, Brussels is already an important offline market for Emirates. Our research has shown that there is high demand for this route from across our network, from both the business and public sector as well as leisure travellers. Belgium operates an open and private enterprise-based economy and we expect this new service to further boost bilateral trade and commerce between the UAE and Belgium, which currently sits at around €4 billion per year,” Emirates president Tim Clark said.
Flight EK183 will take off from Dubai at 0750 to arrive in Brussels at 1315 the same day. The return flight, EK184, will depart at 1445 and for a 2325 arrival, also on the same day. Passengers are afforded 30kg checked baggage allowance in economy, and 40kg and 50 kg in business and first respectively. These flight times are per summer scheduling and may change according to seasons.
There are currently few direct flights from Southeast and Northeast Asia to Brussels, with rare exceptions being Bangkok and Beijing. The Middle East, as it traditionally does, serves as an ideal transit point. Qatar Airways offers connections from its base in Doha, as does Eithad from Abu Dhabi. Emirates, with its partnership with Qantas, will also connect Belgium with Australia with this new service. Brussels International Airport, on the other hand, has its own train station, making it a convenient hub for connecting to other parts of Europe by train.
This new route further highlights the ambition of the Gulf carrier, which, with Brussels included, has launched/announced eight new destinations, with the others being Kiev, Taipei and Boston, as well as the Nigerian cities of Abuja and Kano (August 1), Chicago (August 5) and Oslo.
Vist www.emirates.com
Reggie Ho
