Emirates adds Rio de Janeiro to list

Emirates kicked off its Rio de Janeiro countdown Saturday night, as the airline got ready to launch daily services to the 2014 FIFA World Cup host city from January 3, 2012. The new direct service to Rio de Janeiro, with an onward extension to Buenos Aires, will provide connections to Emirates' network of more than 100 destinations worldwide, the carrier said in an e-mailed press release. Saturday night, over 800 guests from the government, travel industry and wider business community attended a gala celebration at Pier Maua to find out more about one of the world's most successful and fastest-growing airlines. Guests were also given the opportunity to see the FIFA World Cup Trophy, which was on display at the event. Meanwhile, Emirates' A380 route network was extended to Germany yesterday with the launch of services to Munich, according to the UAE's national carrier.