Emirates has reported a spike in 2024 forward bookings for international travel to and from the UK.

According to the airline’s forward booking data, the UK will see a strong rise in inbound travel from Dubai and other destinations in the Far East, Middle East, Africa, and Australasia.

Bookings for Emirates’ flights from Hong Kong to the UK have risen 15-fold (1556%) year-on-year, while travel to the UK from South Africa (+53%), Thailand (+46%) and Malaysia (+29%), all show a sharp increase in demand.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK welcomed 31.2 million overseas visitors in 2022, with a total spend of more than £26.5 billion.

In the last year alone, the airline carried more than six million passengers to and from its seven UK gateways.

London continues to be one of the most popular routes in Emirates’ network^].

Emirates currently operates 82 weekly flights at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted hubs, on a wide-body fleet of Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft.

Travel demand on the Dubai to Glasgow route also continues to grow, up by 51% year-on-year so far in 2024.

Richard Jewsbury, Emirates Divisional VP in the UK, said: “We are proud to play an instrumental role in connecting the UK to our global network, and in boosting travel and trade.”

Outbound travel from the UK is also anticipated to rise in 2024 with Emirates reporting a strong increase in forward bookings to Dubai, and onward to the Far East and Indian Ocean.

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