This week we’re looking at two stories we released on January 16 and January 23, 2015 about Emirates doubling its Dublin service and Etihad boosting its Dublin frequency, respectively.
You can read the original stories here: Emirates Doubles its Dublin Service and Etihad Follows Emirates in Boosting Dublin Frequency.
UAE carrier, Emirates Airline announced its plans to introduce a second frequency on its Dubai – Dublin route last January.
The airline inaugurated a daily flight between the two cities in early 2012, using a three-class, 237 seat Airbus A330-200 but had to introduce a larger Boeing 777-300ER after the airline reported loads of more than 90 percent on many of the services, making it one of its most successful route launches ever.
The introduction of the second rotation introduced over 5,000 seats a week into the market and began operating using the Boeing 777-300ER.
“Air travel is indispensable for tourism and trade, the major engines of Ireland’s resurgent economy. Emirates’ expanded schedule will offer better connectivity for our customers when travelling between Dublin and Dubai and onwards to the rest of our network, increasing access to emerging markets and encouraging investment and innovation,” said Tim Clark, president, Emirates Airline.
The following week, it was announced that another UAE carrier, Etihad Airways would increase its Abu Dhabi – Dublin service from ten flights per week, to double daily from July 15, 2014.
The airline operates a Boeing 777-300ER, configured to carry 380 passengers with 40 in Pearl Business Class, and 340 in Coral Economy class and an Airbus A330-200, configured to carry 262 passengers, with 22 in Pearl Business Class and 240 in Coral Economy Class on its two daily rotations.
“From the moment we started flights to Dublin in July 2007 it has been one our most successful routes and we’re delighted that from this July, seven years later, Etihad Airways will offer guests a double daily service to and from Abu Dhabi,” said James Hogan, president and chief executive officer, Etihad Airways.
The schedule for the double daily flights ensures connectivity both ways with 800 weekly connections to 45 Etihad Airways destinations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, including Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.
Ireland has a population of around 4.5 million, while around 5,000 Irish nationals live in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) therefore a relatively strong point-to-point demand is anticipated on the route.
Routesonline spoke to Dublin Airport's managing director Vincent Harrison this week, who said the airport was delighted to see both Emirates and Etihad going double daily during 2014.
“Dublin and Ireland have been very strong markets for both Emirates and Etihad. Our passenger numbers to the Middle East and North Africa doubled between 2011 and 2013, and we saw further growth last year with the extra capacity provided by Etihad and Emirates and also with some new scheduled services to North Africa. Passenger traffic in Dublin Airport’s ‘Other International’ category, which comprises the Middle East and North Africa, increased by 19 per cent to a record 643,000 last year," he said.
The routes to Dublin have gone down as among Emirates and Etihad's most successful route launches ever. Typically, a new Emirates route to Europe goes double daily within about 3-4 years, but the Dublin service went double daily in two years.
Meanwhile, Dublin has featured regularly in Etihad’s top 10 global destintions. Etihad's president and chief executive officer, James Hogan has said previously that: “From the moment we started flights to Dublin in July 2007 it has been one our most successful routes.”
In the chart, below, we look at the two airlines' monthly performance on their routes between Dublin and their UAE hubs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
(Images courtesy of Dublin Airport; lead image by Michael Kelly)
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