Date set for Emirates' return to Adelaide
An important milestone in South Australia’s post-pandemic economic recovery has been achieved today, with a date now set for Emirates’ return to Adelaide.
From 28 October, the international airline will recommence direct daily flights from Dubai to Adelaide operated by a Boeing 777-200LR.
The relaunch of direct daily Emirates flights is set to deliver an estimated $160 million in tourism expenditure and freight exports as well as create jobs for South Australians.
Emirates flies to more than 140 destinations around the world and will provide Adelaide with flights from the Middle East, UK, Europe, India, and the east coast of the United States – making it even easier for visitors in our key international markets to ‘travel our way’.
The reinstatement of Emirates flights has been a key priority for the South Australian Tourism Commission and is a major vote of confidence in tourism in our state.
Emirates first launched its Adelaide services in 2012 and carried more than 165,000 passengers between Dubai and Adelaide in 2019. The service ceased in March 2020 soon after the declaration of the global pandemic.
I was pleased to join Premier Peter Malinauskas and Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison at Adelaide Airport today, together with Emirates Divisional Vice President Barry Brown and Adelaide Airport Managing Director Brenton Cox, for this exciting announcement.
The relaunched Emirates flights will bring the number of international airlines flying to Adelaide to 10, and signals a strengthening in our international market which is currently worth an all-time high of $1.22 billion.
Looking closer to home, we have seen great interest from operators in the Riverland and Murray River, Lakes & Coorong to participate in the third and final round of our River Revival Voucher program. The ballot will open to consumers in a few weeks’ time, with this round aiming to drive visitation beyond the traditional peak summer season.
Meanwhile, the blockbuster ‘summer of sport’ has continued, attracting elite athletes, teams and supporters from across the globe to our state. Both 2024 Paris Olympic qualifiers, the 2024 Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup last weekend along with the Laser Class Sailing World Championships has focussed worldwide attention on South Australia as a sporting destination of choice.
Emma Terry
Chief Executive Officer
South Australian Tourism Commission