LONDON – Emirates has resumed its flights to two South American destinations, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, which were previously suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Return to Rio
Flight EK247, operated with a Boeing 777 aircraft, has received warm welcomes on its journey into Brazil and Argentina on Wednesday. Rio de Janeiro’s RIOgaleão organized a traditional water cannon salute to mark the airline’s return to the Brazilian city.
Passengers and crew were greeted with samba dancers who put on a lively cultural performance in the presence of the airport’s management team.
Emirates executives Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, Americas; and Stephane Perard, Manager for Brazil marked the resumption of the Dubai-Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires route with a symbolic ribbon-cutting before boarding the flight for Buenos Aires.
Photo: The arrival in Rio. Photo Credit: Emirates
Back in Buenos Aires
In Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza’s Ministro Pistarini International Airport, flight EK247 was met by Argentinian officials including Alexis Raúl Guerrera, Minister of Transport; Matías Lammens, Minister of Tourism; Paola Tamburelli, Director of Civil Aviation, and Sebastian Villar Guarino, General Manager Ezeiza Airport.
Members of the airport’s management team were present; Oscar Suarez, Director of International Markets, IMPROTUR and also H.E. Saeed Abdulla Saif Joula Alqemzi, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Argentina.
The welcome event in Buenos Aires was marked by a dramatic tango dance performance, courtesy of Argentina Tourism Board (INPROTUR).
Emirates restores 90% of network
With the resumption of services to Argentina, which was first launched in 2012, Emirates has restored over 90% of its pre-pandemic network, comprising over 130 destinations including Dubai.
The resumption of Emirates flights will also facilitate trade between Argentina, Brazil and the rest of the world through Emirates SkyCargo, the airline’s cargo division.
The airline’s wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft accommodate a cargo capacity of around 20 tons per flight to transport regional exports from Argentina and Brazil to consumers in the Middle East, Europe and other markets, while supporting the import of essential goods, including pharmaceuticals.
The Emirates cargo connection
Since 2007, 58,000 tons of goods were exported out of Brazil and 62,000 tons of imports were transported using Emirates’ services on passenger flights, in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, Emirates SkyCargo also offers dedicated freighter services to Viracopos airports.
Over the past 10 years, Emirates facilitated the export of 23,000 tons of goods out of Argentina and 21,000 tons of commodities were imported using its services.
Emirates currently serves over 130 destinations in its network, providing services to customers across the globe. Through a convenient connection in Dubai, the airline facilitates travel between the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific.
Passengers traveling to and from other destinations in South America, including connections between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, can take advantage of Emirates’ codeshare and interline partnerships with regional partners such as GOL, LATAM, Azul, Copa and Avianca to continue their journey seamlessly.
