AUSTRIAN AND EMIRATES BLOCKED SPACE DEAL

: Latest News; Thursday, 29 June 2006

Emirates and the Austrian Airlines Group have begun sharing space on the A310-300 freighter service between Dubai and Vienna. Emirates began the once a week service earlier this year, with a strategic focus on the emerging markets in Central and Eastern Europe. Based on a blocked space arrangement Austrian Cargo will have guaranteed access to three Main Deck and one Lower Deck position both to and from Dubai. The service operates on Saturdays and offers a total gross payload of 39 tons.

Ram Menen, Emirates Cargo senior vice president Cargo said: “The block space arrangement with Austrian Airlines benefits shippers with increased access to Dubai and on to markets across the Indian Subcontinent, Africa and the Far East on our route network. Likewise, it supports increased demand for cargo flows from Dubai to markets in Eastern Europe.”

Franz Zoechbauer, executive vice president Austrian Cargo, commentating on the new deal said: “The A310 freighter perfectly complements our services to Dubai on passenger aircraft and the cooperation with a company as respected in the industry as Emirates SkyCargo is an essential step in the expansion of our interests in the Middle East, Africa and the South Asian continent. It will also strengthen the position of Vienna as the most important hub location for traffic flowing into and out of Central and Eastern Europe.”