Emirates relaunches direct flights from Adelaide to Dubai in $160m boost for SA

A popular international airline has resumed direct flights to this Aussie city for the first time in four and a half years.

Emirates has relaunched direct flights from Adelaide to Dubai, which will connect South Australians with destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

The first flight since the Covid pandemic flew out of Adelaide Airport on Monday night.

It will be a daily service operated by the airline’s Boeing 777-200LR, which has business and economy cabins. (To fly in Emirates’ popular premium economy cabin, Aussies still need to fly from Melbourne or Sydney on the retrofitted A380 – it has been ranked the best in the world).

The move will allow 220,400 passengers to travel between Dubai and Adelaide each year.

The total estimated expenditure generated by daily Emirates flights to Adelaide is $160 million per year, according to Tourism SA.

Emirates has relaunched direct flights from Adelaide to Dubai. Picture Supplied

That is $98 million in freight exports (each flight with 14 tonnes of cargo space) and $62 million in tourism expenditure. It is also expected to create 315 full-time tourism-related jobs for South Australians.

Speaking on Tuesday morning, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said it was “one of the most critical passenger and trade routes” that the state has, which meant it was a “good thing economically and a good thing for our people”.

Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox said “for some time” Adelaide had been underserved with international flights.

“We have too many people that have to fly domestically via Sydney and Melbourne in particular, and we deserve more international direct aviation so that’s why today is a fabulous step that Adelaide gets a bit of what it deserves,” he said.

While Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to use their points to book Emirates flights due to the airlines’ partnership, Mr Cox said the state was still fighting to get international routes with Qantas.

“Of course we would absolutely love to see the flying Kangaroo flying [internationally] direct from Adelaide and I know they want to as well, but it’s just a matter of getting the right technology and right aircraft,” he said.

Mr Malinauskas said it would happen “eventually” but told travellers not to hold their breath for anytime soon.

“What is Qantas’ loss is other airlines gain,” the premier said. “Of course, we would love to see an international route with Qantas but what they miss out on, other airlines will snap up that opportunity.”

Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said the increased capacity and competition Emirates was bringing to the market would help reduce airfares.

“What it means is heaps more seats flying into Adelaide, cheaper prices for consumers travelling to the Middle East or Europe, but more particularly the opportunity to export more cargo into the Middle East,” Mr Farrell said.

Emirates had carried more than 165,000 passengers between Dubai and Adelaide in 2019 but the route was axed in March 2020.

Emirates’ EK441 will depart from Adelaide at 10.40pm and arrive in Dubai at 5.20am. EK440 will depart from Dubai at 2am and arrive in Adelaide at 8.50pm.

By December, Emirates will have returned to its pre-pandemic capacity in Australia with 77 weekly flights from the country.

Qatar Airways operates direct flights from Adelaide to Doha.