With a fleet of around 250 widebody aircraft, it’s hard to believe there is any part of the world where Emirates has not landed one of them. This week, Emirates plugged a gap in its network by commencing services to the Republic of Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island located off the East African coast.
A new destination for EK
On Tuesday, Dubai-based Emirates launched its inaugural flight to the capital city of Madagascar, Antananarivo. Emirates flight EK707 operates two legs, with a flight from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Victoria Seychelles International (SEZ) for a short transit before continuing to Madagascar’s Antananarivo Ivato International Airport (TNR).
Photo: Emirates
On September 3, EK707 was operated by a 2016 Boeing 777-300ER, registration A6-EPU and MSN 42340, that departed Dubai at 08:11 and landed in the Seychelles at 12:09 after a 3:58-hour flight. The flight continued with a departure from Victoria Seychelles International at 14:15 and arrival in Madagascar at 15:23.
As is customary with an inaugural flight, the Boeing 777 was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute, followed by an exclusive event for the Government officials, VIPS and industry guests onboard. Among the large delegations were the President of the Republic of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, and the First Lady, while Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim headed the Emirates team.
Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock
Commanding the inaugural flight to Antananarivo was Canadian national Captain Bruce Pope accompanied by First Officer Solo Chuk, a Malagasy pilot who has been flying with Emirates for 14 years. The return flight departed Madagascar at 19:00 and arrived in Seychelles at 22:14, leaving on SEZ on Wednesday morning at 00:26 and landing home at Dubai International at 04:28.
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A luxury ride to Antananarivo
The 777-300ER is configured in a three-class configuration of 360 seats, including eight private suites in first class, 42 lie-flat seats in business class and a spacious 310 seats in the economy cabin. Adnan Kamiz said Madagascar is a new and exciting destination on Emirates’ vast global network, unlocking a world of natural wonders, rare and diverse wildlife and a rich, vibrant culture.
“As the Malagasy government continues to grow its tourism industry with the aim to attract one million tourists by 2028, we proudly support this vision by enhancing connectivity and premium travel options to encourage more international travelers to discover the island.”
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
The service will operate four times weekly on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Emirates has scheduled the flight times to optimize connections to and from key ports in Europe, the Far East, West Asia and the Middle East, streamlining connectivity and international travel to and from Madagascar.
Photo: Emirates
Emirates is the only airline flying to Madagascar with three dedicated classes of travel, describing its first class as a private hotel room in the clouds. Guests can indulge in a la carte cuisine and free-flowing premium beverages in private closed-door suites, enjoying the famed ice inflight entertainment platform, offering more than 6,500 entertainment channels in multiple languages.
On the inaugural leg between the Seychelles and Madagascar, passengers in first and business class were treated to tropical fruit plates featuring local produce and a specially crafted Vanilla Mojito. The drink drew inspiration directly from Madagascar Vanilla, muddled with coconut water, mint, lime, rum and soda water.