Kevin Feddy
EMIRATES is mulling a THIRD daily flight between Manchester and Dubai.
The news comes as the carrier celebrates the 15th anniversary of services on the route. Emirates launched on November 2, 1990, with two flights a week via Frankfurt. In 1999, it launched a daily direct service, and added a second in 2003.
Now bosses are eyeing further expansion over the next couple of years.
Laurie Berryman, Emirates' UK manager for the north, said: "A third daily service cannot be ruled out. We are always looking for opportunities."
Only last month, the carrier increased the size of jet used on its lunchtime departure to Dubai when it replaced a 346-seater Boeing 777 with a new, 427-seater version.
The new aircraft features a 500-channel, touchscreen inflight entertainment system featuring games, movies and audio channels, including ones which play every UK number one pop record since 1953. It allows passengers to pause or rewind movies, and to send and receive text and email messages via their seatback screens.
It is the first UK route on which the new aircraft has been used.
Emirates' other Manchester flight is operated with a 278-seater Airbus A330.
Services to the United Arab Emirates are popular with business and leisure travellers - Dubai is an increasingly-popular destination for short breaks, while flights from Manchester connect with services to Singapore, Thailand and Australia.
Mr Berryman added: "In our first full year of operations from Manchester, we carried 8,000 people. Nowadays, we carry that many passengers in less than two weeks."
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