Emirates, the world`s fastest-growing major airline, is to double its services between Dubai and Munich, capital of Germany`s Bavaria area.

It will add five more flights a week from 27th October and two more from 31st March 2003 to make the service double daily. The increase is triggered by rapid growth in tourism and trade between Dubai and Bavaria.

The new flights will leave Dubai at 3.55pm landing at Munich at 7.35pm, and leaving again at 9.55pm to reach Dubai at 6.50am next morning. The current daily service leaves Dubai at 8.05am, lands at 12.30pm and returns from Munich at 3.45pm, touching down in Dubai at 11.45pm.

The increase confirms Munich`s place as one of Western Europe`s fastest-growing airports and, with Emirates` existing Munich flights, will widen travellers` choice of departures.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates` Commercial Operations Director, said: “We`re increasing our German business and supporting the Dubai Government`s efforts to attract 15 million visitors a year by 2010.

“Dubai is now firmly established as the leisure hub and commercial capital of the region, and these new services will give business and leisure travellers and cargo shippers and forwarders convenient connections to Emirates` fast-growing worldwide network via Dubai.”

Award-winning Emirates is also doubling its daily services to Gatwick and Frankfurt and last year inaugurated daily flights to Düsseldorf, its newest German destination.

Thanks to Dubai`s attraction for visitors and reputation for quality, 150,000 Germans flew with Emirates to Dubai last year, 14 per cent up on the year before. Last year it also launched services to Tripoli and Hyderabad, with Khartoum, Casablanca, Osaka, Mauritius and Perth new this year.

Emirates now links Dubai to 58 cities in 41 countries on four continents. Next steps in its plans to become truly global are non-stop flights to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, opening up the huge market for travel to and from North America.

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