Dubai’s flagship carrier launched its first service to Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport on 1 July, adding a fourth mainland city to Emirates’ flight network, according to a statement from the airline.
Operated by a four-class Boeing 777-300ER, flight EK328 now departs Dubai daily at 10.05 am local time to touch down in Shenzhen at 10 am. The return flight, EK329, departs Shenzhen at 11.55 pm and lands in Dubai at 03.40 am the next day. Flights take about 7 hours 45 minutes.
Emirates already operates flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taipei. It does not fly to Macao.
In the statement, the airline’s deputy president and chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim noted Emirates’ “ongoing commitment to strengthening our presence in the Chinese mainland and supporting the country’s trade and tourism objectives.”
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He also described the new route as “a strategic move to seamlessly connect the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s innovation corridor … through our flights.”
Bolstering China-UAE relations was another given reason for the route. Bilateral trade between the countries reached US$95 billion in 2023, the statement said, making the UAE China’s biggest trade partner in the Middle East.
Passport holders from Gulf Cooperation Countries, including the UAE, can visit the Chinese mainland visa-free for up to 30 days. Chinese citizens can visit the UAE for up to 90 days with a visa granted on arrival.
Emirates ranked as the fourth best airline in the world in 2025 World Airline Awards, behind Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways.
