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EMIRATES AIRLINE OPENS LUXURY HAVEN AT BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

March 2010

Emirates, the award-winning international airline, officially unveiled its new £1.3 million lounge at Birmingham International Airport today (11th March, 2010) - the first dedicated lounge to be offered by a long-haul airline at the airport.

First Class and Business Class passengers, plus Gold Skywards members, travelling on Emirates' twice-daily service from Birmingham to Dubai and beyond can now seek sanctuary in the 7,000 square foot facility situated opposite the airline's departure gate (number 54) in the new international pier in Terminal 1.

The Emirates Lounge offers the ultimate in comfort with luxury leather seating for up to 117 people, plasma TVs showing the latest news, a business centre with complimentary internet access and full shower facilities.

Guests to the lounge can also enjoy an extensive menu of complimentary hot and cold gourmet dishes - prepared by expert chefs, accompanied by a full bar service, including champagne; all supported by a team of dedicated lounge staff.

Mohammed Mattar, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President Airport Services, who officially opened the lounge, said: "This significant investment to our operation at Birmingham further highlights our commitment to the region and the importance of our twice-daily service from the Midlands.

"We hope our premium customers will enjoy this new facility next time they fly with us and look forward to experiencing our trademark attentive service for which we are renowned."

Paul Kehoe, the CEO of Birmingham International Airport, who was also present at the opening celebrations, added: "Emirates has been operating flights between Birmingham and Dubai for 10 years now and over this time it has provided a vital connection for the Midlands, not just to the Middle East but onwards to all corners of the globe.

"We are therefore delighted to see the opening of this stunning new facility in our new International Pier, which signifies a long-term commitment by the airline to Birmingham and the wider region."

Emirates has been operating from Birmingham for a decade and offers almost 800 seats a day to Dubai and beyond on its two daily flights. From Dubai, passengers can connect to destinations spanning six continents, including Australia (Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney) which is the airline's most popular route for Midlands travellers.

In September 2009, the airline helped Birmingham International Airport celebrate its 70th birthday by sending one of its Airbus A380s in the first ever flight by the ‘superjumbo' to a UK regional airport.

Birmingham is the latest facility to open in the airline's £48 million worldwide lounge investment programme.

Other dedicated Emirates lounges can be found at destinations including Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Dubai (x3), Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester, Melbourne, Mumbai, Munich, New York - JFK, Paris - Charles de Gaulle, Perth, Singapore, Sydney and Zurich Airports.

For more information, visit www.emirates.com/uk

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About Emirates

Since its launch in 1985, Emirates Airline has received more than 400 international awards in recognition of its efforts to provide unsurpassed levels of customer service. Onboard passengers can enjoy state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment, meals produced by leading chefs and some of the finest wines available. Advance seat selection is complimentary on all flights, and Emirates recently increased baggage allowances for First Class, Business Class and Economy Class passengers to 50kgs, 40kgs and 30kgs respectively.

For more information contact:
Steve Double, Charlie Hampton, Claire Freeman & Leisa Workman
in the Emirates Group UK Press Office at Bell Pottinger Business & Brand
Telephone: 020 7861 2449/31/47/46
E-Mail: cfreeman@bell-pottinger.co.uk / lworkman@bell-pottinger.co.uk