Isaura Daniel*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo – Taking an Emirates flight from São Paulo to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, may mean the chance of meeting a famous person. Since the airline took off with the route, in October last year, many famous Brazilians, mainly in sports, have already used the service. These players include Milan footballers Kaká, Digão, Dida, Cafu, Emerson, Ronaldo and Serginho and swimmer Gustavo Borges. Some personalities in car racing have also flown in the Boeing 777-200 LR the company operates on the route, among them F1 drivers Felipe Massa and Rubens Barrichello.
Gustavo Borges took the Emirates flight for the first time in the month it was inaugurated. The trip was used for the Brazilian to participate in an international athlete forum promoted by the International Olympic Committee. With other international names in the world of sport, Gustavo discussed themes of interest to Olympic athletes, among them education, career transition, image and networking as well as involvement in the Olympics. “We had the honour of being met by princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, the wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,” said Gustavo in an e-mail interview to ANBA.
Regarding the 15 hours on the Emirates flight, to reach Dubai, Gustavo Borges says: “I found it excellent, spectacular. I ended up flying first class and it was the best trip I have ever had.” The swimmer said that he also liked what he saw in Dubai. “What I saw exceeded my expectations. Daring buildings, many construction sites, very modern architecture and a great tourist centre. I think it is a trip to take the family on,” he adds.
The Milan players travelled to Dubai in January this year. They left São Paulo to join the other members of the Italian team for a week of training in Dubai and to play a friendly match against the national team of the United Arab Emirates. The Milan team, in fact, is sponsored by Emirates. The airline is becoming better and better known globally due to sports sponsorship, exhibiting the company name during matches. In football, apart from Milan, the company also sponsors Hamburg, from Germany, Paris St. Germain, from France, and Arsenal, from England.
The company is also the official sponsor of all the events of the International Football Association (Fifa) and supports the World Cup, to take place in South Africa in 2010. Emirates is also expanding its flights to the country to host the global football championship. Starting on March 30 the company will have a daily flight between Dubai and Cape Town, in the African country. The company already has a flight to Johannesburg, also in South Africa. With this, the airline now flies to over 100 cities in 62 countries. The company plans to launch, up to the end of the year, another seven new destinations.
*Translated by Mark Ament
