Emirates lays on more SA flights
EMIRATES flight EK767 from Dubai to Joburg touched down at OR Tambo International Airport this week, marking the start of the fourth daily service between the two cities.
The start of the service brings to 49 the number of scheduled flights which Emirates operates weekly between Dubai and South Africa, including four daily flights to Joburg, two to Cape Town and one to Durban.
Linking South Africa via these three cities to Emirates’ global network, these seven daily flights demonstrate the importance of South Africa as a major tourism and business market, said Orhan Abbas, Emirates senior vicepresident, commercial operations, Latin America, Central and Southern Africa.
“The start of the fourth daily service to Johannesburg represents a milestone in our growth and expansion since starting operations here nearly 20 years ago,” he said
“We have carried more than 8.5 million passengers to and from the country. South Africa ranks among our top global markets and today we have strengthened our commitment to further promote trade and tourism between South Africa, Dubai and destinations across Emirates’ worldwide network.”
Emirates and South African Airways have extended their code-share part- nership to include the new service between Dubai and Joburg. South African Airways currently code-shares on all Emirates flights to and from South Africa.
Last year 1.27 million passengers travelled with the airline – a 10 percent increase compared to 2012.
The flight is operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, making the Johannesburg-Dubai route an all-Boeing 777 operation. TRAVELLING the globe has become easier for South African passport holders, according to the 2014 Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index.
Released in London in July, the Index is an annual global ranking of countries based on the freedom of travel their citizens enjoy.
South Africa has moved up one spot in the rankings and now occupies 41st place. The South African passport now offers visafree access to 97 countries, up three from last year.
At the top of the rankings, Finland, Sweden and the UK have been joined by Germany and the US, with their citizens able to travel visa-free to 174 destinations. Canada has jumped from fourth place to second with 173 countries, along with Denmark.
Moldova was the big riser this year, moving up 22 places (from 68 up to 46), adding 30 countries to its visa-free status (89 in total).
The bottom four places remain the same as last year, with Pakistan, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan all failing to add to the sub-32 countries to which their citizens have visa free access.
This ranking is produced in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association, which maintains the largest database of travel information. – Staff Reporter