Targeting the Turkish and Middle Eastern tourism markets, Emirates launches Dubai–Istanbul flights

Reported and photographed by You t
ru / Taipei

Recognizing the growth potential in the Turkish and Middle Eastern tourism markets, Emirates will launch a daily flight between Dubai and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) on December 15, bringing the total number of weekly flights between Dubai and both Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) to as many as 18.


▲ Illustration. (Photo / Provided by Emirates)

In the first half of 2015–16, Emirates took delivery of eight A380 aircraft and five B777 aircraft. To meet increasing global passenger demand, the airline has successively launched services to Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, the United States, Puerto Rico, and South Korea, and plans to add a new Dubai–Panama route starting February 1, 2016.

In addition to the existing 11 weekly round-trip flights between Dubai and Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST), the newly expanded route will offer daily flights between Dubai and Istanbul’s second international airport: Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW). The airport is close to Turkey’s financial center and major shopping malls. Passengers can also take a bus that runs every 30 minutes, with a 45-minute ride to Taksim Square on the European side of Istanbul, experiencing the modern side of the city, or visit the Hagia Sophia in the old town to admire the beauty of Byzantine architecture.

Emirates will operate the Dubai–Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) route using three-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Flight EK119 departs Dubai at 5:15 p.m. local time daily and arrives at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport at 8:15 p.m. the same day, with a total flight time of five hours. Flight EK120 departs Istanbul at 10:05 p.m. and arrives at Dubai Airport at 4:20 a.m. the next day, with a total flight time of 4 hours and 15 minutes.