Emirates to link Africa to South America

(eTN) – Come January 2012, according to a source at the Kampala office of the airline, Emirates will offer daily connections from their East African destinations, via Dubai, to Rio de Janeiro and then on to Buenos Aires, using a B777-300ER aircraft. The information was passed on as part of a general update on what added destinations the airline plans to launch in the coming months and into 2012. This will give travelers using their daily B777 flight between Entebbe and Dubai, via Addis Ababa, greater choices of not only new destinations but also more frequencies.

The new schedule will permit passengers to take advantage of the airline’s offers for “stay overs” in Dubai either on the outbound or inbound flight, do some sightseeing or shopping – the airline does offer a visa service, too, very important for Ugandan citizens traveling with them – before reaching their final destination. However, it was pointed out that many of the intended changes depended on the timely delivery of ordered aircraft, of additional B777s, and, of course, the giant Airbus A380, for which Emirates is globally the largest customer for the manufacturer.

Sadly, few options exist for travelers from Africa to fly to South America without flying via another continent, with most flights routing via Europe and now via the Gulf, as regular links between Africa and South America are still in the early stages.