Emirates is looking to restore its pre-pandemic capacity to Australia with the resumption of passenger services to Sydney and Melbourne using its Boeing-777 300ER.

Melbourne Airport CEO, Lorie Argus, said the added passenger services will provide additional freight opportunities into Asia and the Middle East, with the Boeing 777-300ER capable of accommodating another 22 tonnes of belly freight.

Emirates will increase daily services between Dubai and Melbourne via Singapore from two to three starting 26 March, with a third non-stop service to Sydney slated to begin on 1 May.

The airline also plans to restart passenger services to Christchurch via Sydney starting 26 March using an A380, which will offer a new path for Australians across the trans-Tasman route.

Emirates said the huge boost comes amidst another busy period for air travel and as the airline continues to reaffirm its ongoing commitment to growing its services to and from Australia. It plans to operate 63 weekly services to Australia by mid-year, with the capacity to transport more than 55,000 passengers per week to and from its major cities.