EK to Rio and Buenos Aires
On 3rd January 2012, we will launch daily services to two major cities in South America - Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil, and Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. We will serve the route Dubai-Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires - a direct service to Rio and an extension to Buenos Aires.
Rio will become our second destination in Brazil after Sao Paulo, which joined our network in 2007.
Our Service
The route will be served by our Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration - eight First Class Private Suites, 42 lie-flat seats in Business and 304 seats in Economy.
EK 247 will depart Dubai at 07:05hrs, arrive at Rio's Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport at 15:35hrs; depart Rio at 17:20hrs and arrive at Buenos Aires' Ministro Pistarini International Airport at 19:30hrs.
EK 248 will depart Buenos Aires at 21:30hrs, arrive in Rio at 01:20hrs the next day and depart Rio at 02:55hrs, arriving in Dubai at 22:35hrs. All times are local.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio is renowned for the Sugar Loaf Mountain, its beaches, samba dancing and the annual carnival, which attracts half a million visitors a year. With a population of 11.8 million, Rio is the country's nerve centre for the energy sector. Rio will host the final match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics, enabling us to connect global sports fans to the city during these events. Our cargo on the route will include automobile parts, accessories, manufactured goods, fruit and vegetables, machinery, chemicals and pharmaceutical products.
Buenos Aires
Popularly known as the 'Paris of South America', the city is famous for its tango dancers, architecture, a lively café culture, museums, art galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Buenos Aires has a population of 13 million and is the financial, industrial, commercial and cultural centre of Argentina. Our cargo products will include perishables, textiles and pharmaceutical products.
Although our inaugural flight is nearly nine months away, I urge you to incorporate the two destinations in your planning process, be familiar with the opportunities and challenges, and make all preparations necessary for a successful launch.