Emirates to sponsor Tyne & Wear Metro trains

Emirates airline has signed a year long sponsorship deal with Tyne and Wear Metro trains, announced by owners Nexus.

Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing airlines, has branded two Metro trains with its company logo, displayed on the exterior of the carriages.

Some of the top ten 2013 destinations from Newcastle featured on the carriages include Australia, Hong Kong, Bangkok and, of course, Dubai. In addition to the wrapping of two Metrocars, Emirates will be prominent within the interior with 32 internal carriage cards per car, showcasing further Emirates destinations.

The wrapping of the Metrocars follows last year's upgrade of the daily flight service to Dubai from Newcastle on the fifth anniversary of the service's launch. The upgrade saw passengers in the North East offered 2,000 more seats a week and improved on-board facilities, including the award-winning ice entertainment system.

Laurie Berryman, Emirates Vice President UK, said: "Emirates' branding of the Metro demonstrates our continued investment in the North East and showcases it as a key regional hub. Sitting on a train during a commute is the ideal time to plan future getaways and we hope the wrap provides some destination inspiration for our passengers as they consider their next Emirates flight from Newcastle International Airport.

"We are the only long-haul, scheduled airline to fly daily from Newcastle to Dubai and beyond, allowing our North Eastern passengers to experience long-haul travel from Newcastle, rather than having to change in London or a continental European hub. Our commitment to the North East includes Emirates' sponsorship of Durham County Cricket Club and the recent upgrade of our daily flight to Dubai to a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, due to passenger demand. This is the longest aircraft to operate out of Newcastle airport, and represented a capacity increase of more than 50 per cent as well as an upgraded service for all passengers".

Sharon Kelly, Director of Customer Services at DB Regio Tyne and Wear, which operates the Metro on behalf of Nexus, said: "This investment by Emirates in the North East is excellent news and shows the confidence they have in the region. Metro offers customers a fast, frequent and convenient way of travelling to and from Newcastle International Airport. Whether it’s a business trip or a holiday you’re going on to any of the many destinations available, including Dubai with Emirates, we can help get your journey off to a great start".

Dave Laws, CEO of Newcastle International, said: "It is exciting to see Emirates making a further investment in the North East by branding not one, but two, Metro trains. The Metro is an important ground connection for the Airport, and it will be great to see Emirates wrapped trains travelling between the Airport and the key centres served by the Metro network".