The New Nation - Internet Edition

Emirates, the airline of choice for Bangladeshis, announced its plans to invest in cutting-edge technology at the recently-concluded Emirates Travel Agent Workshop 2008.

At the workshop held every year to update the travel trade about the award-winning airline's latest products and services, Emirates' Area Manager for Bangladesh shared details of the airline's recent investment in technologically-advanced fleet and in the new, world-class terminal at Dubai International Airport.

Emirates took delivery of its first new-generation Airbus A380 aircraft on 29th July 2008 at the planemaker's Jürgen Thomas A380 Delivery Centre in Hamburg, Germany. Emirates is due to receive five superjumbos in the current financial year, which ends 31 March, 2009, and receive the remaining 53 by June 2013. Emirates inaugurated its first A380 commercial flight on 1st August 2008 when the superjumbo departed for John F. Kennedy Airport, New York. The technologically-advanced aircraft was also showcased to travel trade and media in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Besides the Dubai-based airline's state-of-the-art fleet, the Bangladeshi travel agents were also briefed on Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport. Boasting an annual capacity of 60 million passengers, the new terminal, dedicated exclusively for Emirates' flight operations will help meet Dubai and Emirates' robust growth projections.

In 2007-08, Emirates carried 21.2 million passengers. By 2012, the airline will have more than 200 aircraft in its fleet and is expected to carry in excess of 30 million passengers.

Terminal 3 will have 27 gates, including five dedicated for Emirates A380s, 180 check-in counters, a new light rail system allowing convenient transport around the airport and many other facilities.

The workshop also offered Emirates management an opportunity to brief agents on Emirates Holidays' TradeNet system which helps agent search for pre-built packages, create tailor-made quotations, check availability of flights and hotels and has the facility to communicate with Emirates Holidays via messaging system. The travel agents can also view the latest Emirates Holidays Newsletter on TradeNet.

The travel agents were also introduced to Farelogix, an internet-based system which allows authorised agents to access Emirates' reservations systems directly to check seat availability, make bookings, and issue tickets for their customers.

Mr. Zakaria noted: "Emirates' strategy has always been to invest in new technologies and methods to ensure a world-class product as well as to make our products more easily accessible to our customers and travel partners. We are delighted to share these new developments with our partners in the Bangladesh travel industry."

New procedures for visas at Dhaka's international airport, latest online fares of Emirates and its new routes for 2008 were also discussed.

SS Rahman (Poonam), Marketing Officer, Kazi Tarik Mahmood, Emirates Holidays Tours Executive, Mofizur Rahman, Senior Sales Support, AKM Junaied, Airport Services Officer and Md Saki, Pricing Executive, Emirates, made presentations on all the above topics.