Emirates will expand its services in mainland China with four flights a week to Yinchuan and Zhengzhou – two of the fastest growing cities in the country – from May 2016, operating a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft.

The outbound flight, EK 326, will depart from Dubai on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 02:45 and arrive at Yinchuan Hedong International Airport at 13:35. It will then leave Yinchuan at 15:20 and land in Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport at 17:00.

The return leg, EK327, will fly from Zhengzhou at 21:10 and arrive at Yinchuan at 22:55. It will then depart from Yinchuan at 00:40, arriving in Dubai at 04:30 the next day.

“With the opening of these new strategic routes, Emirates looks forward to contributing to the enhancement of China’s trade links with the rest of the world, in particular with the UAE and Arab world,” says HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group. “We believe the new international air links that we are launching will help create tourism and trade opportunities for Chinese business and leisure travellers that may not otherwise exist.”

The aircraft features a three class configuration, with eight open suites in first class, 42 flat bed seats in business class and 216 standard seats in economy class. All passengers will be able to enjoy the airline’s award-winning ice entertainment system with up to 2,000 channels of on-demand entertainment, including Mandarin language movies and music.

Emirates flights to and from China also cater to the needs of Chinese passengers with Mandarin-speaking cabin crew on board and inflight Chinese cuisine option. www.emirates.com