Emirates will start operating a second daily service to Lisbon, Portugal from Jan. 1, 2016.

Timed to maximize a wave of new global connections to Lisbon, the second daily flight will offer travelers an afternoon flight from Dubai to Lisbon helping to link customers in Australasia, East Asia, South Africa and West Asia with this city.

Since launching flights to Lisbon in July 2012, Emirates has recorded a significant increase in customer demand to and from the city with an average capacity growth of 15 percent per year. In line with the current daily service, the second daily wide-bodied flight will offer passengers the highest standards of passenger comfort, with private suites in First Class, lie-flat beds in Business Class and “generously-sized” Economy Class seats.

“In the last three years our flights to Lisbon have gone from strength to strength both on the passenger and cargo side. There is clearly a need for another daily service to satisfy this demand, which is why we will start a second daily flight from Jan. 1, 2016,” said Hubert Frach, Emirates’ divisional SVP commercial operations West.

“The additional service will provide customers in Africa, the Far East and Australasia, the Middle East and West Asia with even easier access to Lisbon, supporting the business and leisure traffic between these markets and Portugal,” he added.

The growth in services to Lisbon by Emirates follows the recent announcement of the airline as shirt sponsor for the city’s Benfica Football team until the end of the 2017/18 season, underscoring the airline’s commitment to Portugal.

The new flight will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, with eight First Class Suites, 42 lie-flat Business Class seats and 310 Economy Class seats.

Emirates currently flies to 37 cities across Europe, offering more than 65 flights per day across the continent.