United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrier, Emirates Airline, will introduce a new daily link between its Dubai International Airport hub and Guglielmo Marconi Airport in Bologna, the capital of the country’s Emilia-Romagna region. The new route will commence from November 3, 2015 and will be its fourth market in Italy after Milan, Rome and Venice.

Known as the ‘European Capital of Culture’ Bologna is a vibrant economic and tourism centre as well as being a perfect stepping off point for travellers looking to explore the neighbouring cities of Florence, Verona, Parma and Pisa. The new flight, operated by a three-class Boeing 777-300ER, will add 5,040 international seats per week to and from the city, enabling customers in Bologna and the surrounding region to conveniently access key Emirates destinations in the Far East, Middle East, Africa and West Asia.

“The addition of a fourth Italian gateway is another new and exciting development for Emirates. We have been committed to Italy for over 23 years and in that time we have played an important role in increasing opportunities for business and tourism across the country, thanks to our convenient connections to over 49 destinations in the Far East, Middle East and Africa,” said Thierry Antinori, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Emirates Airline.

Home to a large ethnic community Emirates expects to see strong outbound traffic from Bologna to key destinations in the East across India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Philippines thanks to the airline’s convenient connection times via Dubai. Top destinations for inbound travel to Bologna are expected to come from the UAE, Japan, China, India and Australia comprising of a mix of trade and tourism traffic.

“We are very proud to have Emirates fly to Bologna from November this year,” said Enrico Postacchini, chairman, Aeroporto di Bologna (AdB). “The airline’s top-class service enables us to connect our dynamic territory, rich of both artistic heritage and economic and entrepreneurial spirit, with Dubai, the perfect gateway for access to Emirates’ network in Asia and Africa.”

The new flight will offer the over 47,000 local businesses, operating in key domestic sectors and managing export volume of more than 26 billion Euros per year, comfortable and timely access to over 50 Far Eastern, Middle Eastern and African destinations. “This new partnership between Emirates and Bologna Airport enhances Marconi Airport’s positioning as the fourth largest in Italy, in regards to global connectivity,” added Nazareno Ventola, Managing Director, AdB.

In our analysis, below, we look more closely at the breakdown of passenger flows on each of Emirates' existing routes to and from Italy. The data shows that approximately four in five passengers flying with the carrier on its flights between the country and Dubai International Airport are making at least one connection, with some taking more.