UAE's Emirates Airline aims for 40-pct increase in flights to China

Dubai-based Emirates Airline is set to expand its services to China, aiming for a 40% increase in flights, the Gulf News of the United Arab Emirates reported Friday, citing Adnan Kazim, the airline's CCO. To meet the rising demand, Emirates is reintroducing the wide-body airliner, Airbus A380, on its China routes, reversing an earlier shift to smaller Boeing 777 aircraft that could reduce the airline's seat capacity by nearly 30%, according to the Gulf News. Kazim highlighted that Emirates is coordinating with Chinese authorities to further boost flight frequencies, either by adding new routes or enhancing capacity on existing ones, the report said. He expressed optimism about the potential for continued growth in Chinese passenger traffic. "We're quite optimistic, seeing that China business is gradually coming back and people have started traveling," Kazim said, adding that China remains a "healthy" market for Emirates. Currently, Emirates operates daily flights to the Chinese megacities of Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou.<br/>