Dhabi, the Official Mascot of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010, was in Dubai today to welcome passengers on board the Emirates airline bus which connects Dubai with Abu Dhabi, the host city of the tournament.
With European champions Inter Milan in action for the first time tomorrow, a number of football fans have been making use of the service which is free of charge to all Economy Class passengers travelling with the airline.
Italian and Korean fans, arriving for Inter’s semi-final with Seongnam Ilhawa FC, as well as hundreds of regular travellers, were greeted by the friendly Arabian gazelle at Dubai’s Terminal 3 ahead of their journey to the capital.
Following a revamp in May this year, which saw the introduction of deluxe seats and an increase in frequency and capacity, the air-conditioned bus has experienced a surge in popularity – with a growth of 86% in passenger numbers over the same six-month period in 2009.
“As an Official FIFA Partner, we were able to provide our passengers the opportunity to meet Dhabi, who was a huge hit, with many of them keen to get their picture taken with him,” said Khalid bel Jaflah, Emirates’ Vice President Commercial Operations UAE.
“Demand on the Abu Dhabi route has been exceptional since we introduced new measures to improve the service,” added Mr bel Jaflah. “The increase is testament to the significant number of passengers from the capital who travel with Emirates. They expect world-class service with us and we are proud to be able to extend this from the runway to the roads of the UAE.”
As well as connecting passengers to Abu Dhabi four times a day, Emirates also operates its bus, featuring a distinctive Emirates aircraft decal to help it stand out on UAE’s busy roads, to Al Ain three times a day.
With an estimated travel time of less than two hours to both destinations, the buses have the capacity to transport 51 passengers comfortably.
The service to Abu Dhabi from the arrivals hall at Emirates Terminal 3 departs at 0200 hours, 0800 hours, 1430 hours and 2300 hours, while the Al Ain bus leaves Dubai at 0200 hours, 0800 hours and 1430 hours.
The return journey departs Abu Dhabi from the Emirates Town Office located at Khalidiya area, Corniche at 0330 hours, 0930 hours, 1600 hours and 2130 hours, while the Al Ain service – from the Emirates Office, Emirates Commercial Complex in Khalifa Street, leaves at 0330 hours, 1000 hours and 2100 hours.
This service is available only if an Emirates flight into/out of Dubai has already been booked.
The FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010, contested by club champions from six continents, as well as the UAE domestic league champions, runs until 18th December when the final will be played at Zayed Sports City.
