Emirates to launch flights to Zambia and Zimbabwe

Emirates is to launch flights to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe.

Zambia and Zimbabwe, which share a border with the Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, will be linked with a five times weekly flight from Dubai, starting 1 February 2012.

“Emirates has long understood the enormous potential of Africa, which today is one of the fastest-expanding economic regions of the world, benefitting from a combined market of over one billion people, rising consumer demand and an abundance of natural resources,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group. “Zambia and Zimbabwe will be our 20th and 21st African destinations and their addition to our global network will enable us to provide new flexibility and choice for customers, help to grow trade routes and create important new inbound and outbound markets for tourism.”

The Dubai-Lusaka-Harare service will be operated by an A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration that offers 12 First Class seats, 42 seats in Business Class and 183 in Economy Class.

Customers in all cabins will be able to enjoy hundreds of channels of entertainment and the facility to send and receive emails and text messages.

A must-see for any visitor to Zambia or Zimbabwe is the Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The 1.7 km wide natural wonder cascades for over 100 metres, making the Falls one of the largest curtains of water in the world. Both countries also boast a wealth of other breathtaking sights, including world-class national safari parks.

A bellyhold capacity of 16 tonnes will support the import and export of a diverse range of commodities, such as machinery, clothing, computer parts, and pharmaceuticals.