Emirates delegation in Guangzhou

The Emirates team was spearheaded by Richard Vaughan, Senior Vice-President Commercial Operations, East Asia and Australasia; Peter Sedgley, Senior Vice-President Cargo Commercial Operations; and Edwin Lau, Vice-President, Greater China.

At a Press briefing, Emirates outlined its plans for Guangzhou and illustrated Emirates’ commitment and impressive plans for the city and Southern China.

Richard Vaughan said: “Dubai and Guangzhou share several common strands – both cities are of political, economic, cultural, and social importance in their respective regions. Guangzhou is positioned as an air travel hub for Guangdong and the South China provinces, and Dubai for the Middle East and increasingly on the global stage.

“Guangzhou is a vital link in our strategic plans and we look at playing an important role in its connections with the Middle East and worldwide to support the region’s economic development. Our upcoming direct services demonstrate our ongoing confidence in and our commitment to China. Emirates is grateful to the Chinese government and airport authorities for their support in helping us launch direct services to Guangzhou.”

Bilateral trade between China and UAE reached $20 billion in 2007, up by 40 per cent from the previous year. More than 200,000 Chinese live and work in Dubai and the city hosted more than 68,000 visitors between January and September 2007 alone.

Cargo is a key business driver for the airline and Emirates SkyCargo’s services will offer a range of solutions for industries in Guangzhou and Southern China. Emirates SkyCargo will offer more than 350 tonnes of monthly capacity in each direction, set to boost existing trade ties between Guangzhou and the UAE and spanning the airline’s network.

Emirates will connect Guangzhou to the airline’s global network of 100+ destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, North and South America, and Australasia via its global hub Dubai.

The service will quickly connect travellers from Europe – mainly UK, France, Germany and Switzerland – and the American cities of New York and Houston.