Emirates starts new flights between Dubai, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Emirates is taking square aim at business travellers working in the lucrative mineral and resources sectors in Zambia and Zimbabwe with new single-stop connections from Australia.

The airline is now flying from its Dubai hub to Lusaka and Harare five days a week.

The five times weekly flights began on 1 February, and run Dubai-Lusaka-Harare-Lusaka-Dubai, but won't operate on Thursdays or Saturdays. Dubai to Lusaka is the longer leg (around the same distance as Perth to Auckland) while the Lusaka to Harare connection is just 400km.

Flight EK713 is a morning 0925 departure from Dubai, with the long leg to Lusaka arriving at 1450, leaving at 1620 and arriving in Harare at 1720.

Return flight EK714 leaves Harare at 1920, arrives in Lusaka after 250-mile short hop at 2020, departs at 2150 and arrives in Dubai at 0710

Emirates is using an Airbus A330-200 plane with first, business and economy class on the route.

First and business class passengers will have sleeper seat recliners, which aren't up to the standards of the seats Emirates uses on Australian flights.

By contrast Emirates' Airbus A380 flights from Sydney have fully flat beds in business class, and its Boeing 777 flights from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney have angled lie-flat business seats.

Heading to Africa on Emirates' new Zimbabwe and Zambia flight? Check out our guide to picking the best business class seats on Emirates' A330 aircraft.

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.