The additional service will begin on October 1 2016, and will be the airline’s fourth daily flight from Gatwick.

It already operates six daily services to Heathrow and this will take the airline’s total weekly services to the city to 70.

The flights will be operated by a Boeing 777, with 42 lie flat seats in business class and 310 seats in economy class.

"Emirates started serving London Gatwick in July 1987; since then over 10 million passengers have travelled on the route. As a global hub for finance, business and tourism, London attracts travellers from all over the world," commented Hubert Frach, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president, commercial operations, west.

"With British expats forming the largest western community in Dubai, it’s not surprising to witness continued strong demand for travel between Dubai and the five cities we currently serve in the UK," he added.