A new Dubai to Addis Ababa service will begin on 27^th March 2006, when international airline Emirates adds the Ethiopian capital to its lists of destinations. The airline will initially operate three flights a week to Addis, which will be increased to daily operations from 1^st December 2006. 

Emirates will operate its Airbus A330-200 aircraft, with a capacity of 12, 42 and 183 seats in First, Business and Economy classes respectively, and a belly-hold cargo capacity of 17 tonnes.

Emirates flight EK723 will take off from the Dubai International Airport every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 08:25 and arrive in Addis Ababa at 11:30am local time.

Return flight EK724 will depart Addis Ababa on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 19:35 and arrive in Dubai at 00:45 the following day

The new service was announced on 29^th January 2006.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said: “I am pleased to announce yet another destination on Emirates’ rapidly expanding network. Trade between Dubai and East Africa, a long-standing trade partner of the UAE, has registered a steady growth over the last few years. Several countries in the East African region have been increasingly turning to the UAE for procurement of their consumer and capital goods. I am confident that the Emirates service between Dubai and Addis Ababa will add further momentum to this trade process.”

Sheikh Ahmed noted: “Emirates’ network in the Middle East, which comprises 13 destinations served by 140 weekly flights, can be leveraged by Ethiopia’s trading community to boost its business prospects.”