In early July Emirates kicked off its daily non-stop passenger service to Prague, Czech Republic using an A330- 200 aircraft with 16 tonnes of available belly capacity.

Trade between the Czech Republic and the UAE has leapt from under US$26 million in 1993 to US$678 million in 2008, according to the Czech Foreign Ministry.

Nearly 30 per cent of exports to the UAE are glass products including Czech-made Bohemian glass, which can be seen in chandeliers and other decorative features in hotels across Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE.

“Bohemian Glass is probably the best known of the glass to be produced in the Czech Republic and Emirates SkyCargo already carries this via road to connect with Emirates’ Vienna flights,” said Ram Menen, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president, cargo.

“There is no doubt that the new nonstop flight between Prague and Dubai presents, excuse the pun, a crystal clear opportunity — not just to support the glass industry, but a whole range of trade, which we can carry in the belly hold of the A330-200s serving the route.”

As well as bringing glass products from the Czech Republic to Dubai, Emirates SkyCargo also ships them to other parts of the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent, Africa and the Far East.

Other commodities being shipped include electrical equipment for the construction industry, jewelry, electronics, computer components, beverages, data process machines, machine tools, cars and car parts. Car giants Hyundai and Toyota have both established production plants in the Czech Republic.

Prague will be Emirates’ 24th route into Europe and the second in the region to be launched this year after Amsterdam, which started on 1st May.