Karachi – January, 2023: Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, proudly commemorates its 25th anniversary of operations at Islamabad and Lahore airports. Since its inaugural flights to both cities in January 1999, Emirates has played a crucial role in connecting Islamabad and Lahore to the world via Dubai, while fostering economic growth and cultural exchange.
Over the past quarter of a century, Emirates has been a reliable partner facilitating seamless passenger and cargo movement and significantly contributed to the development of the country and region through tourism and trade. The airline’s strong presence in Islamabad and Lahore underscores its position as a leading and reliable carrier which is committed to excellence and innovation in the aviation sector.
In its pivotal role, Emirates ensured seamless journeys for millions of passengers on its routes from the key points in Pakistan, with the airline operating a robust schedule of ten weekly flights from each of the two cities.
Highlights etched in Emirates’ remarkable history serving Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad, and its second largest city Lahore, include the transport of over 11.4 million passengers on over 34,000 flights between both cities and the airline’s hub in Dubai.
Emirates’ extensive network of more than 140 destinations has not only enhanced tourism and economic ties for Pakistan, but it has also fostered stronger relationships between communities worldwide. Through Emirates’ scheduled services, Islamabad and Lahore have both emerged as strategic gateways connecting passengers to top destinations in the United Kingdom, Europe, USA, and Canada. With the UAE being home to more than 1.6 million Pakistani nationals, comprising more than 15 percent of the population, the country and specifically Dubai, is also a popular destination for travellers from the two cities. Flights to Lahore and Islamabad are most frequented by travellers from the same points, across the leisure and business segments, and including passengers flying to visit family and friends.
On the airline’s 25th anniversary of operations in both Islamabad and Lahore, Mohammed Alhashmi, Emirates’ Vice President for Pakistan said: “Emirates is proud to have been part of the county’s growth story, with operations to Islamabad and Lahore, two important points in our Pakistan network. Emirates continues to be a dependable travel partner for many in Pakistan, including our loyal customers who rely on us for the premium services we offer, both in the air and on the ground, commitment to excellence in our service standards and ensuring an unmatched travel experience, as well as seamless connectivity to points in our vast network.
“Our operations to Islamabad and Lahore have been a resounding success since the launch 25 years ago, facilitating travel and movement of essential commodities. Tangible benefits throughout the supply chain in the hospitality and tourism industry and job creation are some of the achievements that have positively impacted local communities. We are proud to have contributed in a meaningful way to Pakistan and would like to thank the authorities and all stakeholders and industry partners whose support has made this possible over the years.”
In addition to its passenger services, Emirates has played a crucial role in solidifying both Islamabad’s and Lahore’s positions as vital cargo hubs in the region. The airline continues to support local industries and businesses by uplifting cargo from Islamabad and Lahore to the rest of its global network. With its vast cargo network and state-of-the-art facilities, Emirates SkyCargo has been instrumental in enabling seamless transportation of goods and leveraging trade synergies that have not only boosted economic development but have also contributed significantly to the growth of both regions.
Over the past 15 years alone, Emirates’ flights have uplifted a combined 225,000 tonnes of cargo out of Islamabad and Lahore, with commodities exported ranging from sporting and leather goods, textile and apparel, courier, and perishable items, including meat and produce such as mangoes. Top commodities frequently imported into both points in Pakistan include laboratory and medical equipment, diagnostic and testing kits, in addition to medicines and vaccines for medical and veterinary use, courier, fabrics, textile accessories, mobile phones and computer accessories, totalling more than 96,000 tonnes over the same 15-year period.
Emirates and Pakistan share a special relationship, which goes back more than 38 years when its first-ever flight marking the airline’s launch, was from Dubai to Karachi on 25th October 1985. Since then, the historic partnership has continued to blossom with Emirates currently offering 53 weekly services to five Pakistani cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Sialkot, operated with Boeing 777 wide-body aircraft. Following the launch of its operations in 1985 in Karachi, Emirates began service to Peshawar in 1998. Then in 1999, Emirates was introduced to Islamabad’s and Lahore’s skies before the commencement of its Sialkot service in 2013. Emirates remains fully committed to Pakistan and its operations in the country continue to be an integral part of the airline’s network.
Travelers flying with Emirates can enjoy the best flight experience with an unmatched culinary selection, thanks to the regionally-inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs and complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages. Customers can sit back and relax with more than 6,500 channels of carefully curated global entertainment content featuring movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, games, audiobooks, and more with Ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system. Travelers can select from regional content including Urdu, Pashto, and Punjabi content to keep them entertained on flights.
