Emirates has announced plans to add yet another country to its route network, in the form of a new fifth freedom flight…
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Emirates adds Seychelles to Madagascar route
As of September 3, 2024, Emirates will launch a new 4x weekly service to Antananarivo, Madagascar (TNR). Specifically this will operate as a continuation of the carrier’s existing service from Dubai (DXB) to Mahe, Seychelles (SEZ). The route will operate with the following schedule on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays:
EK707 Dubai to Mahe departing 8:55AM arriving 1:35PM
EK707 Mahe to Antananarivo departing 3:05PM arriving 4:50PM
EK708 Antananarivo to Mahe departing 6:35PM arriving 10:20PM
EK708 Mahe to Dubai departing 11:50PM arriving 4:20AM (+1 day)
The flight between Dubai and Mahe covers a distance of 2,057 miles, and is blocked at 4hr30min to 4hr40min in each direction, while the flight between Mahe and Antananarivo covers a distance of 1,112 miles, and is blocked at 2hr45min in each direction. This new service will be a fifth freedom flight, meaning you can fly Emirates exclusively between the Seychelles and Madagascar, if you’d like.
The aircraft utilization here is phenomenal. Currently the aircraft operating the Dubai to Mahe flight spends the entire afternoon and evening on the ground, before returning to Dubai. With this new route, the aircraft will simply fly to Antananarivo and back during that time.
Emirates will use a Boeing 777-300ER for the route, featuring 354 seats, including eight first class seats, 42 business class seats, and 304 economy class seats.
What an awesome new route!
The government of Madagascar has been trying to get service from Emirates for years, with talks going back as far as 2015. Tourism is a key pillar of Madagascar’s economy, and the country is hoping to have one million annual visitors by 2028.
Madagascar’s main international airport currently has service from around 10 airlines. This includes some service within Africa (like Airlink from Johannesburg, Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa, and Kenya Airways from Nairobi), as well as some long haul service (like Air France and Corsair from Paris). National carrier Madagascar Airlines also has a fleet of 10 aircraft, including one A340 that flies to Paris.
Suffice it to say that Emirates’ new flight opens up a lot of new connectivity, given that this will connect into Emirates’ network of around 140 destinations around the globe.
This new route is described as part of a larger bilateral relationship between the UAE and Madagascar across sectors including commercial, logistics, and other industries. So cargo also seems to be a major motivator here, with cargo on this flight connecting to Emirates SkyCargo service to places like China, Indonesia, the United States, and France.
Here’s how Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, describes the new route:
“Madagascar has historically been underserved, despite growing appetite from travellers for authentic ecotourism experiences. Emirates understands the importance of offering customers efficient connectivity and premium travel experiences and we’re confident that this new service will have a positive impact on boosting Madagascar’s connectivity, offering more opportunities for travellers to discover the hidden gem that is Madagascar, in addition to opening new international business opportunities.”
“The Malagasy’s government is spearheading efforts to grow its tourism sector by enticing more tourists to experience the island’s renowned biodiversity and natural attractions. Emirates is ready to support Madagascar’s tourism agenda by helping bring visitors from around its network. We thank the Malagasy’s government for their partnership and support in establishing this route and we look forward to welcoming passengers onboard soon.”
Bottom line
Emirates will be launching a new fifth freedom service to Madagascar via the Seychelles, which is a big win for the country, as it has been seeking Emirates service for nearly a decade. The route will operate 4x weekly as of September 2024, and it’ll be a great option whether just traveling on the fifth freedom service from the Seychelles, or connecting through Emirates’ network from Dubai.
What do you make of Emirates’ new Madagascar service?
''Madagascar’s main international airport currently has service from around 10 airlines. This includes some service within Africa (like Airlink from Johannesburg, Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa, and Kenya Airways from Nairobi), as well as some long haul service (like Air France and Corsair from Paris)''
you forgot to mention one of Emirates' biggest competitors especially to Madagascar which is Turkish Airlines who have been flying to Madagascar for some years now. They combine it...
''Madagascar’s main international airport currently has service from around 10 airlines. This includes some service within Africa (like Airlink from Johannesburg, Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa, and Kenya Airways from Nairobi), as well as some long haul service (like Air France and Corsair from Paris)''
you forgot to mention one of Emirates' biggest competitors especially to Madagascar which is Turkish Airlines who have been flying to Madagascar for some years now. They combine it with their Mauritius flights. Emirates flying to Madagascar will definitely result in less passengers for THY my guess
I'm sure EK crew are happy as well - as the flight from SEZ to TNR will probably be a turn flight from SEZ. So they get three nights in the Seychelles if working this route. I know all the crew working DXB-SEZ were all in a good mood when I flew there!
Surprised they picked Antananarivo over Nosy Be. But if cargo is a factor, then thats a lot of vanilla beans in that hold!
Great news. After working with tourism to Madagascar for many years Emirates will open up som great possibilities for connecting Madagascar to the world with big planes. Great news!
Well, that makes my choice of route for later this year easier. Oh aye-aye!
Anything on Africa continent is out of ordinary. Something that we do not normally expect as standard practice. About a decade ago, five of seven flights we took with South Africa Airways were tardy. We almost missed a connection on a four hour layover.
@Ben: When will you plan to visit Africa, not just northern Africa? I plan to devote the later half of this decade traveling to Africa. I am interested in reading...
Anything on Africa continent is out of ordinary. Something that we do not normally expect as standard practice. About a decade ago, five of seven flights we took with South Africa Airways were tardy. We almost missed a connection on a four hour layover.
@Ben: When will you plan to visit Africa, not just northern Africa? I plan to devote the later half of this decade traveling to Africa. I am interested in reading suggestions from your readers about African countries and cities and how to get around, with more focus on tour guides. Mauritius and Madagascar are on my list.
I'm curious how the Mahe airport is for transit; I can't imagine they get many through flights.
The Second daily flight stays in SEZ from 1335 to 2350. So adding TNR is a smart usage of the triple seven rather than stay on the tarmac.
You leave Madagascar at 6:35 pm but don't arrive into DXB until 4:20 am? Ouch, that's kinda rough. Then again, I couldn't tell you if the alternatives are any better as fights seem to often have horrendously ugly schedules in that part of the world. Like leaving at 01:00 or arriving at 03:00. Never understood why, but it is what it is.
Full widebodies don’t like hot weather on takeoff, so ME flights almost all happen at night when it’s cooler.