DALLAS — Emirates (EK) has announced its return to Adelaide (ADL), marking the last stage in restoring its Australian capacity. The daily nonstop service between the capital of South Australia and the airline's hub in Dubai is slated to start on October 28, 2024.

The airline initiated its Adelaide flights in 23012. 2019 saw EK transport 165,000 passengers from Dubai to the coastal capital. In 2024, the airline will have 77 weekly flights from Australia and be able to transport 68,000 people weekly to and from the continent, restoring its pre-pandemic capacity by December 1, when the carrier resumes its second daily service to Perth.

The airline sees its return to Adelaide as a critical turning point in South Australia's pandemic recovery. The South Australian Tourism Commission estimates that the daily direct nonstop flights with EK are expected to bring in over US$62 million annually in tourism-related revenue and support over 315 full-time equivalent employment for South Australians.

In addition, 14 tonnes of cargo space will be available on each aircraft, for a weekly total of 196 tonnes between the two capitals. With freight exports valued at an estimated US$98 million annually, EK flights to Adelaide are expected to create US$160 million in expenditures.

With 38 Business Class seats and 264 Economy Class seats on board the daily Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, the ADL service will provide nearly 4,200 weekly tickets and 302 seats every day between Dubai and Adelaide. The Triple Seven Business Class will boast a 2-2-2 layout.

EK440 will arrive in Adelaide at 20:50 hours and leave Dubai at 02:00. The return flight EK441 will arrive in Dubai at 05:15 hours, leaving Adelaide at 22:35. All local times.

The carrier's Dubai-Adelaide service relaunch links to South Australia's traditionally European solid markets and the UK, Middle East, India, and the US East Coast. Specifically, travelers can travel from Adelaide to London, Rome, Dubai, Paris, Amsterdam, Manchester, Athens, Dublin, Barcelona, and Milan. London, Manchester, Dubai, Birmingham, Paris, Amsterdam, Glasgow, Frankfurt, and Dusseldorf are top inbound.

Featured image: Emirates A6-EWE Boeing 777-200LR. Photo: Nick Sheeder/Airways