Emirates upgrades capacity on Vietnam route

Emirates Airline on Sunday upgraded its services on its route between Dubai and Ho Chi Minh by launching a larger Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Emirates started its daily, non-stop flights to Vietnam on June 4 with an Airbus A330-200 but has now increased capacity by almost 50 percent to meet growing demand on the route.

Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ senior vice president Commercial Operations, Far East & Australasia, said: “Vietnam is one of the top emerging economies in Asia, and Ho Chi Minh City has been a significant commercial centre and popular tourism destination.

"We have been made very welcome since our launch here, and we look forward to further success in the market. The upgrade of aircraft on our flights to Ho Chi Minh City confirms our strong commitment to Vietnam."

Emirates said in addition to carrying more passengers, the operation of the new aircraft will also have a positive impact on Vietnam’s import/export industry.

Emirates SkyCargo will have an additional 84 tonnes of weekly capacity on the route. Commodities carried include clothing, consumer goods, perishables, automobile and machinery as well as steel and petroleum products.

In 2011, the bilateral trade between Vietnam and the UAE exceeded $1.2bn.

Emirates has a fleet of 187 aircraft and is the world's largest Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 operator.

The airline now serves 126 destinations in 74 countries on six continents.