Emirates Selected As Official Carrier For Commonwealth Law Conference

Emirates, the award-winning international airline based in Dubai, has been selected as Official International Carrier for next April’s XIII Commonwealth Law Conference in Melbourne, the first time this prestigious international meeting will be held in Australia.

The airline was chosen to receive the coveted accolade after a competitive tender against Australian national carrier Qantas as well as Malaysian and Singapore Airlines, amongst others.

More than 2,500 delegates from all parts of the Commonwealth are expected to attend the conference between 13th and 17th April 2003 at the Melbourne Convention Centre.

Keynote speakers include Cherie Booth QC, lawyer and wife of British Premier Tony Blair, Rt. Hon Christopher Patten, External Commissioner, European Commission; and Geoffrey Robinson QC.

The Hon Murray Gleeson, Chief Justice, High Court of Australia, and top members of the judiciary from England, New Zealand, Canada and US are also expected to attend.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates, said: “We are honoured to have been chosen as carrier for this prestigious and high-profile Commonwealth meeting. Australia has an increasingly influential voice on the world stage. We are committed to serving its travellers and to playing a part in its widening world role.”

Emirates flies daily from Melbourne and four times a week from Sydney to Dubai International Airport, named last week as “best for overall passenger satisfaction” by the International Air Transport Association representing the world’s top airlines.

On 2nd August, Emirates launched four-a-week services from Perth, linking the city to Emirates’ worldwide network of 58 destinations in 41 countries via Dubai.

Emirates is also a major sports sponsor, supporting Collingwood, Melbourne’s Australian Rules football club; a number of races during the Melbourne Cup Carnival; the Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest horse race; the annual PGA Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament, won this year by South Africa’s Ernie Els; world championship powerboat racing; and most recently, Chelsea, an English Premier League football club, as well as many other events.