Emirates marked 10 years of operations in India’s Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. Over the last decade, Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as an important passenger and cargo destination for the airline in the region. Since the start of its operations, Emirates carried 105,000 tonnes of cargo and over two million passengers on the route.

“Southern India has always been a key market for Emirates and we are proud to complete 10 years of successful operations to Thiruvananthapuram. We’ve had healthy seat load factors on the route since we launched the service in 2006, demonstrating passengers’ demand for Emirates’ unique product and service and our commitment to the market,” said Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ senior VP commercial operations – West Asia and Indian Ocean.

“With 12 weekly flights and 17 tonnes of cargo capacity per flight, Emirates continues to facilitate inbound travel to India, strengthen trade links and connect passengers in Thiruvananthapuram to our expansive global network,” he added.

Emirates also operates chartered freighters with a B777F to and from Thiruvananthapuram to meet the market demand during local festivals like Kerala’s harvest festival, Onam and its New Year celebration, Vishu.

Emirates completed 30 years of operations in India in 2015 and has since grown its operations to serve 10 destinations in the country. It is now the third-largest international carrier serving India, operating 10.4 per cent of international capacity in the market.

According to a recent study released by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Emirates’ operations in India have contributed over US$848 million annually to country’s GDP while supporting over 86,000 Indian jobs and generating almost $1.7 billion in foreign exchange earnings.