Emirates airline adds 23 extra flights for Eid Al Fitr holidays

There will be extra flights to Kuwait, Beirut, Amman and Saudi Arabia - and a celebratory in-air menu

Emirates cabin crew in the airline's brown, white and red uniforms. Getty

Emirates was rated the world’s safest airline in January 2022 for the second year in a row. Reuters

An Emirates Boeing 777-200LR aircraft mid-flight. Photo: Emirates

Emirates airline's Boeing 777-300ER jets at Dubai International Airport. Reuters

Travellers at Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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A fast-track gate that uses face and iris-recognition technology at Dubai International Airport. The biometric system is being used at 122 smart gates at the airport's arrival and departure terminals. AFP

An Emirates cabin crew staff member demonstrates new health and safety measures introduced after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Emirates

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Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia aircraft perform a flypast over the UAE. Emirates

Ahead of the Eid holidays, Emirates airline is adding more flights from Dubai to seven cities across the GCC and Middle East.

The airline is boosting its schedule with 23 additional flights to cities across Saudi Arabia, and to Kuwait, Beirut and Amman. The move comes as bookings for travel in the region surge over the holiday period, said Emirates.

Capacity will also increase, with the airline deploying more A380 superjumbos and Boeing 777s aircraft. The upgraded schedule will commence on Thursday and continue until Sunday, May 8.

In Saudi Arabia, Emirates will add two additional flights to and from Riyadh, operating on May 2 and May 8. There will be five extra flights added for passengers flying to and from Jeddah. The coastal city will also see one of its existing flight services upgraded to an A380 — the world's largest passenger jet. Elsewhere in the kingdom, there will be four extra flights to Madinah over the Eid period, while travellers flying out of Dammam can book a seat on an additional flight departing for Dubai on Thursday.

Dubai is a popular choice for passengers from the kingdom who plan to travel over Eid, said Emirates, with Paris, the Maldives, Bangkok, Manila, Mauritius and Los Angeles also proving popular destinations for the coming holidays.

Emirates will also increase operations to and from Kuwait by adding eight additional flights over the Eid period. Each of these will be operated via a Boeing 777 to satisfy demand. Dubai is proving a popular destination for Kuwaiti travellers, followed by Maldives, Manila, Bangkok, London, Mauritius and Paris.

In Lebanon, Emirates is adding three Boeing 777 flights to its existing schedule to accommodate travellers as they head home to visit friends and relatives. In JordanEmirates flights to Amman will be upgraded to a Boeing 777 resulting in a higher seat capacity for travel to the Jordanian capital this Eid.

All travellers flying with Emirates during the holidays can also look forward to enjoying Eid celebrations in the air. That's because the airline will be serving a celebratory menu featuring traditional dishes on all flights across the GCC, Middle East and North Africa that are scheduled to depart or arrive in Dubai between May 2 and May 5. And for passengers flying in premium cabins on Emirates superjumbos, a curated selection of Emirati Eid pastries and chocolates will be offered in the Onboard Lounge.