Encouraged by the passenger response, Emirates (airline) has proposed to fly daily between Calcutta and Dubai. The airline, which launched its Calcutta-Dubai operations a year ago, now operates six flights a week between the two cities.

“We have sent the proposal for daily flights to the civil aviation ministry and the authorities of Calcutta airport,” Geetika Seth, sales manager (India-east), Emirates, said on Monday.

The airline is operating with “75 per cent passenger load” from Calcutta. “For most passengers, Dubai is the stopover in their journey to destinations like Cairo, Johannesburg and Istanbul. The travellers belong to both leisure and business segments,” said Seth.

On the occasion of the first anniversary of its service from Calcutta, the airline has announced a special offer for Dubai-bound passengers. Till May 31, a return flight to Dubai, a three-night stay in a hotel and other facilities will cost Rs 33,500 (including taxes).

The airline on Monday also announced a change in the seating configuration of its aircraft flying from the city. The flights will have 27 business and 251 economy-class seats, instead of 12 first, 42 business and 183 economy-class seats. “We’ve decided to change the configuration considering the demand for economy-class seats,” Seth said.

Among the destinations Emirates will fly to are Houston, Sao Paulo, Venice and Newcastle. “Venice is very popular among Calcuttans and we are expecting a good response on the sector,” the official said.