Emirates says it with flowers
by announcing flights to Amsterdam
The Netherlands, famous for its captivating Holland tulips, picturesque windmills and mouth-watering cheeses, will soon be highly accessible to Filipino travellers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with the scheduled launching of flights to Amsterdam beginning May 1, 2010.
The daily, non-stop service from Dubai will be operated with a combination of 777-200LR and 777-300ER aircraft, boasting a three-class configuration and the newest version of I.C.E, the passenger revered in-flight entertainment system. Emirates, with its exquisite Private Suites, will be the only airline offering First Class accommodation on the route.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline & Group, said: "We are extremely pleased to announce a new service into Europe at this time and I’m sure it’s a development that will be welcomed with open arms in the Netherlands. Amsterdam is already an important offline market for Emirates and we know there is significant passenger traffic heading from Amsterdam to Dubai and onto Africa, the Indian Sub-continent, Asia and the Far East."
Sheikh Ahmed added: "This is also a major freight hub and one of the world’s renowned flower centres. Emirates has served the Netherlands as a freighter destination for fifteen years and currently offers six 747-400 freighter flights a week between Dubai and Amsterdam. The daily passenger flight will allow us to bolster our cargo offering by making use of the belly hold capacity."
Amsterdam is the second destination to be announced by Emirates for 2010 after Tokyo, Prague and Madrid.
"The blossoming of Emirates’s 23rd route into Europe will bring much awaited news for Filipinos in the Netherlands and in other countries," said Gigie Baroa, Emirates’ Philippines Country Manager. "This new flight service between Dubai and Amsterdam is expected to increase the population of Filipino tourists and workers in the Dutch capital and in other parts of the Netherlands."
The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and has more than 4,400 km of navigable rivers, lakes and canals. "Amsterdam has been a major international port and waterway for marine traffic since the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th Century," Baroa said.
"And now, thanks to its central location, the city has developed into a major gateway to Europe for intercontinental air traffic, due mainly to the excellent Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which is linked with 240 cities in 85 countries all over the globe."
During the tourist season, cruise ships to Scandinavia or the Mediterranean area sail from Amsterdam while other passengers enjoy Rhine River cruises towards Germany and Switzerland. Ranking fourth in Europe, the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handles over 31 million passengers per year. Celebrated among veteran global travellers for its ultramodern, user-friendly facilities, the airport is also well-known for its superior ‘See Buy Fly’ tax-free shopping centre.
"Amsterdam’s unique combination of Old World charm and cosmopolitan culture makes it one of the most popular European cities not only for Filipino travellers but also for international visitors as well," Baroa added. "The arrival of Emirates in the Netherlands is a colossal improvement in connecting Manila to Dubai and Amsterdam for it will enhance tourism, trade, provide improved and proficient cargo handling and ease traffic flows in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East."
According to 2010 European Union estimates, there are about 800,000 to 900,000 Filipinos in the continent, most are health sector and service-oriented workers such as nurses, caregivers and domestic helpers in developed countries in Europe. They are spread out in top European cities such as Amsterdam, Rome, Milan, Brussels, Paris, London, Athens, Nice, Madrid and Barcelona.