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29 March 2024

Emirates airline makes its Polish debut in style

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By Staff

Emirates touched down in Warsaw today, marking the airline’s first scheduled service to Poland and its 129th international destination.

Emirates’ daily flight to Warsaw, operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft, is the first international service to offer a First Class product in Poland.

The UAE is already the single largest Middle East trading partner of Poland, with trade between the two nations totalling nearly Dh1 billion per year. This new service is expected to further enhance economic links between the UAE and Poland.

“Our commitment to Poland is clear. We are excited to be here and we are here for the long-haul,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group, at a gala dinner hosted to mark Emirate’s Polish debut.

Marking the importance of this Eastern European gateway, the high profile delegation onboard the inaugural flight included: HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum; HE Mohammed Ibrahim Al Sheibani, Director-General of the Dubai Ruler’s Court; HE Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy; HE Mohammed Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehhi, Undersecretary UAE Ministry of Economy; and HE Hamed Buamim, Director-General of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Also onboard were Ambassador Adam Krzymowski, Polish Ambassador to the UAE; Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Executive Vice-President Engineering and Operations; Ali Mubarak Al Soori, Emirates’ Executive Vice-President Chairman’s Office, Facilities Management and Procurement and Logistics; Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice-President, Passenger Sales Worldwide; Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice-President Corporate Communications; Richard Jewsbury, Emirates’ Senior Vice-President Commercial Operations Europe and Russian Federation; Pradeep Kumar, Emirates Senior Vice-President Cargo Revenue Optimisation and Systems, along with other VIPs and a delegation from the UAE media. 

Emirates has become the only international airline to offer first class seats into Warsaw. “With our new service, we are now the only international airline operating First Class into Warsaw, thanks to our Airbus A330-200 wide-bodied aircraft, offering a total of 237 seats to Dubai and beyond each day,” said Sheikh Ahmed.

“Today’s launch is a significant one not only for Emirates, but also for Poland. This new service will enable direct links into Poland, facilitating travel for tourists and traders from East Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Stimulating trade and driving demand for not only our services, but the new destination is an integral part of our growth strategy and we see Warsaw as an important part of this,” said Sheikh Ahmed.

On touchdown, the VIP delegation was welcomed by Ambassador Asim Mirza Ali Mohammed Al Rahma, UAE Ambassador to Poland; Michał Marzec, the Director of Warsaw Chopin Airport, along with members of the local media.

“This is truly an important day and a great honour for Warsaw Chopin Airport to have an Emirates aircraft on our tarmac,” said Michał Marzec, Director of Warsaw Chopin Airport. “Emirates’ presence in the region enhances our airport’s prestige and importance as a regional hub. Passengers from Poland and Central Eastern Europe will benefit from the launch of the direct air services to Dubai as well as convenient onward travel to India, Asia, Australia and Africa.”

The strong bilateral trade relations between the UAE and Poland are evident in the large number of Polish businesses that operate within the UAE. With this new daily direct service from Dubai, trade between the two economies is expected to increase exponentially, aided by a convenient flight schedule and increased consumer awareness.

“With one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and a solid GDP, Poland is the perfect gateway to further extend our Eastern European operations.
 Tapping into markets like Poland, that are currently underserviced in terms of international capacity, has been a key driver for our success in the past and we are confident that Poland will be another example of this,” added Sheikh Ahmed.

An enabler for trade, Emirates SkyCargo will offer an average of 210 tonnes of belly-hold capacity per week on the new service. Key exports from Poland include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and electronic products; while some of the main imports are machinery, sporting goods, medical equipment, electrical equipment and leather products.

Continuing its expansion, Emirates last week announced the launch of services to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) on June 3, 2013.  The next new route to launch in the airline’s network will be Algiers on March 1, 2013.