On October 25, 1989, KLM, the Royal Dutch Airline, christened its newest aircraft, a Boeing 747-400, as the 'City of Dubai' to honor the emirate's expanding role in international aviation. The grand ceremony took place at Schiphol Airport's hangar, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of Emirates airline. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates and head of Dubai's civil aviation department, along with KLM's president Jan de Soet, baptized the jumbo jet. Sheikh Ahmed expressed his gratitude, stating that the naming of the aircraft after Dubai was a 'great honor.' He further mentioned that when Emirates grew to KLM's size, they would name one of their planes 'City of Amsterdam' in return.
The 'City of Dubai' plane was slated for trans-Atlantic routes and the Amsterdam-Tokyo sector. At the ceremony, de Soet gifted a replica of the 'City of Dubai' to Sheikh Ahmed after unveiling the aircraft's name. In return, Sheikh Ahmed presented de Soet with a traditional Arab dagger, known as a 'khanjaar,' made of silver and inlaid with gold.
The Schiphol Airport hangar was transformed to reflect Dubai's culture for the baptism ceremony. A 20-member troupe from the Dubai Folklore Society performed the traditional 'ayyala' dance. The ambiance was further enhanced when members of the folklore group distributed dates and served traditional coffee, 'gahwa,' to the guests. Airport workers paused their duties to gather and witness the event. Sheikh Ahmed was honored with the title of skipper of the World Society of the Flying Dutchman, an accolade he described as another 'great honor.'
Reflecting on Emirates' fourth anniversary, Sheikh Ahmed shared plans to expand routes to Singapore, Manila, and Bangkok by mid-1990. Additionally, Emirates aimed to commence regular services to Manchester and London's Gatwick from June 1990. Sheikh Ahmed viewed KLM's gesture as a recognition of the benefits Dubai had brought to the airline. He also highlighted the strong cooperation between Dubai and the Dutch airline, stating, 'It is good to have friends we can learn from.' Today, Emirates boasts a fleet of 259 planes, including 248 passenger and 11 freighter aircraft, serving 144 destinations across 78 countries and territories.
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