In Melbourne, all eyes were focused on Flemington Racecourse for the 151st running of the Emirates Melbourne Cup, known as the “race that stops a nation.” At the same time, Emirates celebrated the start of its service to the 115th destination on its network by hosting guests in its trackside St. Petersburg-themed hospitality marquee.

A few hours after Dunaden beat Red Cadeaux to win the Emirates Melbourne Cup, Emirates flight EK137 departed from Dubai International bound for St. Petersburg.

On board the inaugural were Emirates executives - Thierry Antinori, EVP, passenger sales worldwide; Salem Obaidalla, SVP, commercial operations, Europe & Russian Federation; and Pradeep Kumar, SVP, cargo revenue optimization and systems. Their special guests on the flight included Mohammed A. Ahli, director general, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Captain Ibrahim Hamad Abdullah, passport administration control, Dubai International; and Ghassan El Aridi CEO, Alpha Holidays, Tours & Travel.

"Celebrating the launch of our daily St. Petersburg service in both the northern and southern hemispheres truly demonstrates the depth of our global network. The Emirates Melbourne Cup underlines our commitment not only to Australia, but to the global sport of horseracing, while our new St. Petersburg service shows our commitment to Russia," said Antinori.