Emirates airline, operating direct Calcutta-Dubai services, recorded a 70 per cent capacity in the first week of operations from the city.

?Calcutta is a growing market and we plan to develop it. We may increase the number of flights,? said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates? vice-president, India and Nepal, part of a delegation in the city for the formal launch on Friday.

Emirates Calcutta operations took off on March 26, with six weekly flights.

The officials held a meeting with chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at Writers? Buildings during the day.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, vice-president, commercial operations worldwide, Emirates, said Calcutta was the hub for tourists from eastern and Northeastern India. ?Dubai?s location at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and West Asia means travellers can connect to other destinations,? he added.

Emirates operates an Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the route, with 337 seats five days a week and 262 on Wednesdays and Fridays. Round trip fares (excluding taxes) is Rs 15,500 in economy, Rs 35,000 in business and Rs 43,000 in first class.

According to airline officials, leisure tourists, visiting friends and relatives and businessmen are expected to travel from Calcutta to Dubai. ?Calcuttans want to explore new destinations. Traffic to West Asia had gone down. With direct connectivity, it is expected to go up,? said Anil Punjabi, chairman (east) Travel Agents Federation of India.

T.K. Burman, principal secretary, state tourism department, said the government would promote the state as a tourist hub for West Asia, particularly in the ?rainy season?.