Emirates to resume flights to Shanghai and Beijing

The Dubai airline will also increase daily services to Guangzhou as it boosts China operations

Emirates is boosting flight operations to pre-pandemic levels across the route network. Reuters

Emirates airline has announced it will resume flights to Shanghai and Beijing, in time for the Lunar New Year public holiday, which starts in China on Saturday.

The move comes as China relaxes its Covid-19 entry restrictions and reopens the country's borders to international travellers.

The Shanghai service resumes on Friday with a twice-weekly service on an Airbus A380, increasing to a daily service from March 1. It will depart Dubai to Shanghai non-stop, making a short stop in Bangkok before returning to Dubai.

The service will increase to four weekly flights on a three-class Boeing 777-300ER from February 2, with a non-stop flight to Shanghai and a service via Bangkok on return to Dubai.

This will become a daily non-stop service from March 1.

From February 1, services between Dubai and Guangzhou on the A380 will increase to daily non-stop. Currently, Emirates flies non-stop to Guangzhou and back via Bangkok four times a week.

A daily non-stop service between Beijing and Dubai on a three-class Boeing 777-300ER will start from March 15.

This brings the airline's China services, which have been operating for nearly two decades, up to 21 weekly flights.

Doubling flights to Brisbane

On Sunday, the airline announced it is doubling its flight services to Brisbane from June.

The Dubai airline is adding a daily service to the Australian city, as it celebrates 20 years since the route was inaugurated.

From June 1, Emirates will operate the second daily flight to and from Brisbane, bringing the route back to pre-pandemic operating levels, with more than 250,000 seats per year both ways.

The airline currently services Brisbane with one daily flight on an A380, while also offering flights to Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. This will bring it up to 49 weekly flights between the UAE city and Australia.

Resumption of flights to Glasgow, Birmingham and Nice

The new Brisbane services comes alongside a general push from Emirates to reach pre-pandemic operating levels.

On Friday, the airline announced it will be resuming A380 flights to several destinations for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.

It will operate the world's largest passenger jet to Glasgow from March 26 and to Birmingham from July 1.

Emirates will also operate the double-decker to Nice in the South of France starting June 1.

As travel demand continues to rise, Emirates is also expanding its services to London.

From May 1, the airline will resume a second daily service to London Stansted. Operated via a wide-body Boeing 777-300, the aircraft will offer Emirates' renowned First Class product.