The eight-flights-a-week service came first. The airline base in the IT hub has come next. India’s silicon valley now has a touch of Emirates to its portfolio. Emirates Airline has inaugurated its brand new 5000-square-feet Bangalore office.

The development is being seen as a significant step in the airline's India expansion programme. This is Emirates' fifth such in South India and adds to the tally of 19 offices across the country.

According to Emirates officials, the Bangalore office will be a one-stop Travel Shop and will address the needs of business and leisure travellers, premium passengers, frequent-flyer members and potential holiday-makers.

The opening of the Bangalore office saw top-officials from the airline's Dubai headquarters, including Ghaith Al Ghaith, Executive Vice President Commercial Operations Worldwide and Nabil Sultan, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations West Asia and Indian Ocean, present. The event was also an occasion to celebrate Emirates' recently introduced non-stop service between Dubai and Bangalore.

According to the airline top brass, the company’s office in Bangalore would provide Bangalorean travellers with top-notch on-ground assistance. Customers can plan and book their entire travel arrangements in relaxed surroundings guided by knowledgeable travel experts, the added.

It may be noted that Emirates' presence in India this year has grown with the launch of services to Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, Bangalore, and capacity enhancements to Kochi, Chennai and Delhi.

It is believed that Emirates' Middle East presence will help India as it gets connected, via Dubai, to 12 key gateways in the region through 160 weekly flights. Besides, cargo movement is to be facilitated by Emirates SkyCargo's innovative products and services, superior ground handling facilities, and wide-bodied aircraft offering 105 tonnes of cargo capacity per week.