Dubai-based airline Emirates will start six weekly non-stop services to the south Indian city of Kozhikode (Calicut) using Boeing 777-200 and Airbus A330-200 aircraft, from 1 July.

Kozhikode is a trade and marketing centre for commodities such as spices, rubber and industrial exports. The city will be the third in the state of Kerela to gain direct Emirates flights from Dubai, after the airline introduced services to Kochi in 2002 and Thiruvananthapuram in 2006.

The routes will offer more than 4,000 Business and Economy class seats and all classes will include email and text messaging services.

Flights on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays depart Dubai at 14:15 (arriving 19:50) and leave Kozhikode at 21:20 (arriving 23:40). On Thursdays and Saturdays they depart Dubai 03:30 (arriving 09:05) and Kozhikode 10:35 (arriving 12:55).

“Kozhikode and Kerela have a long-standing trade relationship with the Arabian peninsula that extends back into history,” said Emirates chairman and chief executive, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum.

“The link between Dubai and Kozhikode will help increase trade opportunities, and also make it more convenient for the large non-resident Indian community in the Gulf.”

Emirates also announced it will start services to Cape Town on 30 March this year.