Emirates will be expanding its schedule this week to offer 38 additional flights across six cities in the GCC and Middle East to meet significant demand for the Eid Al Fitr holiday travel period.
This year, more than 110,000 travellers are expected to board Emirates flights during Eid Al Fitr across the region, with additional flights planned for Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Medina, Kuwait and Beirut.
Eid Al Fitr
Eid al-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims all over the world. It marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which is a time of fasting, prayer, and reflection.
The date of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the sighting of the new moon, and it usually falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
The celebration typically lasts for three days, although in some countries, it can be celebrated for up to a week.
Additional flight services
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Emirates will be adding four extra flights between 19-29 April to and from Riyadh to cater to Saudi travelers looking to venture to Dubai and beyond.
In Jeddah, the airline will be operating three daily A380s, and will additionally layer on six flights operated by its Boeing 777 to serve the peak travel holiday period from the city between 20-25 April.
Emirates will boost its flights to Dammam from 18 to 21 weekly, starting from 20 April until 31 May with additional flights scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays to connect travelers to their favorite holiday getaways.
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Travelers from Medina will have the choice of an additional 16 flights in the month of April to accommodate those travelling inbound for Umrah, as well as travelers looking to start their holidays earlier.
This year, Emirates customers in KSA will be venturing to Dubai for their Eid Al Fitr celebrations, in addition to the Maldives, London, Phuket, Mauritius, Manila and Paris.
In Kuwait, Emirates will operate an additional eight flights for Eid with its Boeing 777 from 20-27 April.
Popular destinations for Kuwaiti travelers this year include Dubai, Maldives, Phuket, Bangkok, London, Mauritius and Milan.
Emirates will offer an additional flight on 23 April on the airline’s existing Beirut schedule to accommodate for more travelers as they head home to visit friends and relatives.
Emirates and Eid traditions
Food is an important part of the Eid al-Fitr festivities. After a month of fasting during Ramadan, Muslims typically prepare and enjoy special meals with family and friends to celebrate the end of the month-long fast.
In many Muslim cultures, there are traditional dishes and sweets that are associated with Eid al-Fitr, and families often prepare and share these foods with each other.
For example, in the Middle East, it is common to eat a sweet pastry called “ka’ak” or “qatayef,” which is filled with nuts or cheese and then fried or baked.
Inflight services
Upholding Eid traditions and keeping in with its proud Middle Eastern heritage, the airline will be serving a specially crafted Eid menu for customers between 21-24 April for flights departing from Dubai.
Favourites like chicken mandi, mansaf, samka harra, samak matfi, madfoon, and Gulf style braised lamb will be served onboard, among other moreish dishes.
All Emirates customers connecting in Dubai and travelling onwards during this time will be treated to delicious sweets and desserts, like warm date pudding in First Class, a fluffy vanilla sponge cake with white chocolate and hibiscus cream in Business and Premium Economy Class.
Batheetha – a saffron date crumble, or a sweet pumpkin Asseda, topped with roasted cashew nuts is on offer in Economy Class. All passengers will also receive an additional mini treat of ashta sfouf with their meal wishing them ‘Eid Mubarak’.
