It was literally a case of musical chairs, as Emirates Airline coddled a quartet of musical instruments all the way from Munich to Auckland, secured snugly in first class seats.When Dr. Reinhard Voss, a string instrument enthusiast in Munich, Germany, decided to loan his precious string instruments, valued at several hundred thousand dollars, to the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO), his biggest concern was that they travel well, speedily and safely.

As an Emirates Skywards Gold frequent flyer, Dr. Voss has first-hand experience of the top notch pampering onboard Emirates, and there was no question that his prized instruments deserved only the best.  He thus approached Emirates to see how they could best carry the collection to Auckland, New Zealand.

Emirates determined that the safest way was to transport the instrument cases in first class, with suitable restraints. Recognising Dr. Voss’s own charitable gesture in loaning the quartet to the NZSO, the airline also offered to carry them free. The journey would be swift as Emirates flies between Munich and Auckland, with only an aircraft change in Dubai, and a brief stopover in Sydney.

It took some planning, including security arrangements and the logistics of transferring the instruments from one aircraft to another, before the four musical travellers took off on their journey halfway round the world on Emirates. 

Today in Auckland, the NZSO welcomed the two violins (nestled in a double violin case), the viola and the violoncello to New Zealand.

Needless to say, having been pampered all the way, the instruments arrived in excellent condition.

NZSO general manager Peter Walls says the orchestra members are extremely grateful for Dr Voss’s and Emirates’ generous offers. “Our musicians are very excited about their arrival and we’re also indebted to Emirates for ensuring the instruments traveled so safely and in such style.”

From its Dubai hub, Emirates flies thrice daily to Auckland via Sydney, Singapore-Melbourne, and Singapore-Brisbane. Emirates also operates daily flights to Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island.
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