Emirates is to add a second daily non-stop service between Dubai and Melbourne later this year.
One of the carrier’s two daily flights to Melbourne currently stops en-route in Kuala Lumpur, but will become a non-stop service from October 30.
EK408 will depart Dubai at 0300, arriving into Melbourne at 2320, with the return leg EK409 departing the Australian city at 0600 and landing in Dubai at 1305.
Emirates say the new non-stop schedule will save passengers around two and a half hours in travel time on the route.
It also means UK customers will have an additional option to reach Melbourne on a one-stop service from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Manchester.
With codeshare partner Qantas Emirates offers a total of four daily services between Dubai and Melbourne – two on Emirates aircraft (both which will be non-stop from October 30), and two with Qantas (one non-stop, and one via Singapore).
But travellers on Emirates’ Dubai-Kuala Lumpur route will see choice reduced to three daily services, two on the B777-300ER and one on the A380.
Emirates says that it is “currently working with travel agents and tour operators regarding alternative travel plans for passengers booked for travel to Kuala Lumpur on the EK408 or EK409 services after October 30, 2016”.
Mark Caswell
