Rio de Janeiro – More than just businessmen, Emirates Airline wants to fly oil industry executives in its new daily Dubai – Rio de Janeiro – Buenos Aires flight, which was launched this Thursday (24th) in Rio de Janeiro and will start operating on January 3rd, 2012. To the CEO of Emirates Brazil, Ralf Aasmann, in addition to the tourist who travels to Rio seeking leisure, the new opportunities brought about by pre-salt oil will probably attract more Arabs to the city.
“In the past, vacationing tourists were the only ones who travelled to Rio, and they will continue to exist, that won’t change. But other crowds will travel here. The pre-salt will develop, and that will bring Middle Eastern enterprises in,” said Aasmann.
The senior vice president of the Emirates commercial operations worldwide division, Richard Vaughan, said that the World Cup 2014, which will have Rio as one of 12 host cities, and the 2016 Olympic Games, to be held in the city, also contributed to the airline’s inaugurating the new route to Brazil. “As a result of these events, Rio will be closer to the world market,” he said.
During the flight’s launch event, the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce market development manager, Rodrigo Solano, stated that operations such as this pave the way for new business to be made. “Now, a new logistical possibility is available between these two regions [Brazil and Arab countries]. It will promote interaction among businessmen to further bilateral trade. It opens up new vistas, opens up new markets,” he said.
Aasman did not disclose the occupancy rates the company is aiming for in its new flight, but claimed that the target is to at least maintain the 80% rate achieved by the company in the laset fiscal year (1010-2011), ended March 31st. Reservations are already available on the Emirates website. According to Aasman, the flights are full, but none is sold out. Because the flight will head on to Buenos Aires after landing in Rio, the airline is selling separate tickets for this leg of the trip. The Emirates Brazil CEO informed that sales for this section of the trip are exceeding expectations.
Starting on January 3rd, flight EK247 will leave Dubai at 7:05 am (local time) and touch down at Antonio Carlos Jobim airport at 03:37 pm (de Brasília). It will then leave Rio at 5:23 pm and arrive in Buenos Aires at 7:30. On the return trip, flight EK 248 will take off from the Argentinean capital at 9:30 pm, land in Rio de Janeiro at 1:20 am, and then take off to Dubai at 3:10 am. The Boeing 777-300 should land in the Arab city at 10:53 pm (local time). The aircraft can carry 354 passengers: eight in first class, 42 in executive class, and 304 in economy class.
The world’s largest aircraft
Aasman claimed that the company intends to fly the Airbus A380 to Brazil soon, but is pending homologation from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac). The aircraft has been cleared to fly to São Paulo, and may land in Rio de Janeiro in case a change in route is required.
“Now, people in other Brazilian cities will be able to board flights to Dubai from Rio de Janeiro too, not just from São Paulo,” he said. Two-way tickets for Dubai-Rio flights will sell for US$ 1,753 (economy class), US$ 7,800 (executive) and US$ 15,025 (first class).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
