Emirates had announced it will now fly to a second destination in Thailand; the popular seaside resort town of Phuket, commencing services in December of this year. From 10 December, Emirates will operate a three-class Airbus EK378 on a non-stop daily service between Dubai and Phuket. “We have always had a strong affiliation with Thailand and have been operating flights to Bangkok since 1990,” Emirates president Tim Clark said. “Thailand is an important market for Emirates, we currently operate four daily flights between Dubai and Bangkok, including one with our Airbus A380 aircraft.” Emirates second Thai destination is also its second foray into South East Asia routes this year, commencing non-stop services to Ho Chi Minh City in June. “We are confident that Phuket will prove a popular destination for our passengers, especially those from the UAE, Middle East and Europe,” Mr Clark added. In related news, Emirates has reportedly been in talks with Australian carrier Qantas concerning a new partnership in response to the recent Etihad/Virgin alliance. From etravelblackboardasia