Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, has been recognised as the Best Middle Eastern Airline at the prestigious Business Traveller Awards 2005 at London’s Hilton Park Lane Hotel. The award was presented by HRH The Princess Royal at a luncheon attended by senior figures from the world’s leading travel companies, and is based on results from the magazine’s 2005 survey of its readers.

Business Traveller UK is published monthly, and is read by business travellers, business travel managers and travel agents. Editions of the magazine are also published in the Middle East, the United States, Germany and Hong Kong.

The award comes as Emirates continues to strengthen its services from the UK to Dubai and beyond. The recent addition of a second daily service from Birmingham and a fifth daily flight from London Heathrow means that the carrier now offers 91 non-stop flights from the UK to Dubai each week. In addition to services from Heathrow and Birmingham, the airline offers three flights per day from London Gatwick, two per day from Manchester and a daily service from Glasgow.

The award was accepted by Emirates manager UK south Majid Al Mualla, who said: “We are delighted to be voted Best Middle Eastern Airline. The award represents a powerful endorsement of our services from the UK business traveller community, who have recognised the breadth of services that we offer to Dubai and beyond.”

As from this month, Emirates is flying from Malta to Dubai four times weekly via Larnaca, Cyprus, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, using an Airbus A330-200. The Malta route gives a convenient connection to outgoing and incoming passengers from Australia and the Far East.