Bologna becomes Emirates' new Italian connection

Emirates launched its daily service to Bologna - the fourth destination in Italy after Rome, Milan and Venice

4 November 2015

When the big bird, the Emirates' Boeing 777-300ER, glided down on the tarmac at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport, every single ground staff had a camera (or a smartphone) in hand, clicking photos furiously. The Eagle had landed.

Emirates launched its daily service to Bologna - the fourth destination in Italy after Rome, Milan and Venice - on Tuesday at the end of which water canons welcomed EK093, and the Italian pilot helming the aircraft waved the UAE and the Italian flags to signify this new 'partnership' between the two countries. The flag waving was all the more significant because Tuesday was the UAE's Flag Day.

"Every new route is a new opportunity for us," said Thierry Antinori, Emirates' Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "This new sector will make Bologna a point of entry to Italy for passengers from the Middle East, Africa and Asia."

He stressed Emirates will continue to thrill new customers (on the new route) with its abiding propositions of "quality, convenience and value-for-money".

A visibly happy Virginio Merola, the Mayor of Bologna, talked about how he was privileged to have this "direct connection" with Dubai. "It's an important day for us, we attach huge importance to this decision [to launch flights between Dubai and Bologna]."

Bologna is the capital of the Emilia Romagna region, boasting a diverse portfolio of art, culture, history - and great food. It has easy access to Florence, Pisa and Tuscany, making it an ideal base for travel to Italy. The mayor also spoke about new investments to be made over the next three years to further develop Bologna and a tourist and economic stronghold.