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The operation of Emirates Airline will help boost exchanges between
Dubai and
Seoul
and open a new market to Korea, according to the airline’s senior
vice-president commercial operations East Asia and Australasia, Richard
Vaughan.
 Emirates
Airline opened a branch office in Seoul on March 7 for the launch of its
service between Dubai and Seoul starting May 1.
Vaughan visited Korea
on March 14 and attended a media conference with Ghaith Saeed Khalaf Al
Ghaith, the airline’s executive vice-president commercial operations
worldwide, to celebrate the opening of the regional office.
Emirates, based in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates,
is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. It flies to 79 cities
in 56 countries including Korea.
The airline reported $236 million in net profit during the first half of
its 2004-2005 fiscal year, 41 percent up from the same period a year before.
Since the foundation in 1985, it has received 250 awards for its quality
service.
It will start operation of daily non-stop flights between Dubai and
Seoul. So far, Korean passengers have been able to head for the city on
Korean Air’s twice weekly flights.
Some say operating daily flights between the two cities is quite an
aggressive strategy as Dubai is not a popular travel attraction to Koreans
although it is an important point for business people.
``We have operated daily flights in even smaller markets than Korea
before. It may be a challenge to us, but is our daily service to customers.
All the passengers will know our flights will be leaving everyday, and they
don’t need to think whether the Emirates fly today. It will eventually be
very much a plus for us,’’ Vaughan said.
The 59-year-old Australian said Emirates believes the infrastructure of
transportation will create demands and stimulate exchanges.
``Dubai is located at the contacting point of Europe, Asia and Africa.
From the past, it has been a hub for international trade and
communications,’’ he said.
Vaughan also said Dubai can serve as a connection site for Korea with
Emirates’ network.
``We have some 40 destinations not served directly from Korea, especially
in the Middle East and Africa. Also, we’ll open our market to Korea and
bring passengers from the new market to Seoul,’’ he emphasized.
Besides the connection network, Dubai itself is also an attraction. It is
a city where tradition, modernity and nature coexist.
``The city has Arabic heritage and culture, as well as fine scenery of
desert,’’ he said.
Dubai is also one of the modernized and industrialized cities in Middle
East, with many shopping centers, business free zone, multi-national
companies, world-class airport and hotels. Forty-six Korean companies are in
business in Dubai, and Samsung Engineering and Construction contracted to
build the tallest building in the world in the city.
Vaughan also said there might be misunderstandings about the Arabian
country that security is not good and it is hard to enjoy the night life
including drinking, which Koreans like.
``Dubai is a cosmopolitan city where people with over 100 nationalities
gather. I believe that proves how safe and how enjoyable Dubai is,’’ Vaughan
said.
The airline is making efforts for operation in Korea. ``We already have
220 Korean cabin crew who can help Korean passengers. With the launch of
operation, we advertised to recruit more Korean crew, and we received 7,000
applications,’’ he said.
Emirates is also preparing Korean style in-flight meals such as
``kalbi,’’ or beef short ribs, ``miyok-guk,’’ or brown seaweed soup, and
``kimchi pokkumbap,’’ or fried rice with kimchi.
``We also plan to provide special tour packages that put together the
airline and hotels in Dubai and beyond,’’ Vaughan said.
However, he added they would not discount flight tickets to attract
Korean customers, as Emirates’ policy is ``value for money,’’ which shows
the airline’s strong confidence in its high quality service.
``We’re very confident that we’ll do well in Korea,’’ Vaughan said.
He returned to his office in Dubai on March 16.
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