Emirates on Monday announced four new weekly flights between Dubai and Phuket, starting on December 1.
The flights will connect most cities in the Americas for the first time and improve connections to a number of destinations in Europe and the Middle East, where the Dubai carrier flies from more than 50 cities.
“Since the launch in 2012, Phuket has been a solid success story. The fact that we are now adding a further four weekly flights highlights not only the desirability of the destination, but also the demand for passengers wishing to travel with Emirates,” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer.
“These new flights have been well timed to not only maximise connections across our network but also allow for a morning arrival in Phuket, giving travellers even more time to enjoy the island and its surrounds.”
Phuket island is the gateway to southern Thailand, making it easier for people to expand their travels to Khao Lak, Phang Nga, Koh Samui, Trang, Krabi and Koh Lipe.
Emirates will operate the new flights with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering eight seats in first class, 42 seats in business class and 310 economy class seats.
The airline’s increase in flights to Phuket closely follows the announcement of its codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways, which has added 14 new destinations to the Emirates network.
EK396 will depart Dubai International Airport at 10.55pm and arrive at Phuket International Airport at 8am (Thailand time) the following day.
The return flight, EK397 will depart Phuket at 9.30am and will arrive in Dubai on the same day at 1.20pm.
Emirates has 42 weekly flights to Bangkok and currently has seven weekly flights to Phuket.
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