Tag Archives: A380

Emirates’ flagship A380 made a landmark touchdown at Auckland Airport. This is first time the Emirates double-decker has landed in Auckland since February 2020, demonstrating increasing travel demand in and out of New Zealand. The special non-stop daily service from Dubai to Auckland was greeted at Auckland Airport ahead of the country’s first fully open summer since the pandemic. Emirates flight EK448 takes off from Dubai International Airport at 10:05 am and lands in Auckland at 11:05 am local time. The flight has reclaimed the title of Emirates’ longest route on its network, clocking in 14,200 km, with an estimated flight time of just under 16 hours from Dubai to New Zealand and 17 hours, 15 minutes in the other direction. This makes it one of the world’s longest non-stop scheduled commercial flights. Emirates has been flying to New Zealand for 19 years, a sign of its ongoing commitment to the market. Throughout the pandemic, Emirates continued to serve the country, both through connecting New Zealand and the world with daily flights, as well as its SkyCargo services bringing essential goods in and out of the nation. The latest update to its services will offer customers greater levels of flexibility and choice when making travel plans and provide seamless connectivity and reduced transit time when travelling to other destinations in its global network, including destinations in Europe and the Middle East. The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after by travellers offering 14 First Class suites and 76 lie-flat seats in Business Class. Customers travelling to and from Auckland can look forward to enjoying its spacious and comfortable cabins, signature products that offer travellers the best experiences in the sky …

Etihad Airways announced it is reintroducing four of its A380s from the summer of 2023. The move follows a surge in demand for air travel across the airline’s network and customer feedback for the return of one of the most remarkable commercial flying experiences in the sky. His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “It is wonderful to announce the return of this splendid aircraft. The A380’s reintroduction provides a further boost to Etihad’s capacity into the key UK market, with a knock-on effect for the wider GCC and Indian subcontinent that will bring more visitors to the city of Abu Dhabi.” Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways, said: “We know this will be welcomed by our guests who love Etihad’s incredible A380 and its award-winning cabins. We have decided the time is right to return some of our A380s into the fleet to satisfy the demand which has made them financially viable once more. We look forward to welcoming our guests again on board this remarkable aircraft.” Etihad’s A380s feature The Residence as well as three cabin classes on the double-decker aircraft, including 9 First Apartments, 70 Business Studios and 405 Economy Smart Seats. This includes 80 Economy Space seats with a seat pitch of up to 36 inches. The nine First Apartments set across a single-aisle, offer a private living space with a large leather lounge chair and an ottoman which opens up to become a separate 80.5″ long fully-flat bed. The First Apartment is one of the most spacious in its class and also offers a 24″ swiveling LCD TV monitor and personal vanity unit. For the first time, Etihad plans to …

Emirates has ramped up its operations to Gatwick Airport with the addition of a third daily A380 flight. The airline continues to scale up its UK operations to meet sustained demand ahead of the holiday rush. The additional frequency will offer enhanced capacity with more than 1,000 seats to/from Gatwick to Dubai, every day. Emirates flight EK11 will depart Dubai at 2:50hrs, flight EK15 will depart at 7:40hrs and flight EK09 will depart at 14:25hrs – offering customers even more flexibility and travel choices. Emirates currently serves the UK with 119 weekly flights across seven UK hubs including: six times daily to London Heathrow; three times daily to London Gatwick; daily service to London Stansted; three times daily to Manchester; double daily service to Birmingham; daily flights to Newcastle; and a daily service to Glasgow. Emirates’ extensive network spans to 130 destinations, across six continents. Emirates’ home and hub, Dubai, remains a very popular holiday and stopover destination. Visitors from the UK can take advantage of the new Dubai Experience platform that enables customers to easily browse, create and book their own customised itineraries including flights, hotel stay, visits to key attractions, and other dining and leisure experiences in Dubai and the UAE. For more information, visit emirates.com. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, via travel agents or through online travel agents.

Emirates’ Taipei-Dubai route is scheduled to go daily from 6 November, following the conclusion of Taiwan’s reopening plan with the termination of its mandatory COVID-19 quarantine restrictions for arrivals. Operated by a Boeing 777 aircraft, Emirates’ flight EK366 from Dubai departs at 02:50hrs and arrives in Taipei at 14:45hrs. The return flight EK367 from Taipei departs at 22:45hrs and arrives in Dubai at 4:35hrs the next day. All times are local. The additional frequencies will provide Emirates’ passengers increased connectivity and options to and from Taiwan, to help meet the air travel needs for both business and leisure. Travellers who are eligible can travel to Taiwan visa-free, and all inbound passengers are advised to undergo a 7-day self-health monitoring. Travellers are encouraged to check the latest entry requirements. Emirates commenced non-stop daily flights to Taipei in 2014, operated by a Boeing 777 aircraft. The Dubai-Taipei route was later upgraded with a daily two-class A380 service in 2016. The airline has established a solid partnership with the market which is underpinned by its contributions to the local community and air cargo transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The return of Emirates’ operations to Taipei from the current 4 weekly to daily flights demonstrates the airline’s commitment to aid the market’s travel and tourism recovery, and help drive inbound traffic by connecting travellers from over 130 destinations in its global network to the cosmopolitan city. Travellers flying with Emirates can enjoy the best experience in the sky with an unmatched culinary experience, regionally inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages. Customers can sit back and relax with more than 5,000 channels of …

Qatar Airways will be increasing passenger capacity on its flights to and from Perth. Previously operated by the Boeing B777-300ER, passengers will now have a chance to journey on board the A380, featuring a three-class configuration of seating over two decks with a dedicated onboard premium lounge. The aircraft will accommodate an additional 163 passengers daily adding up to 517 seats spread across the three cabins: eight First Class seats, 48 Business Class seats and 461 Economy Class seats. This update is part of the recent strategic partnership between Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia. This expanded codeshare significantly expands the networks, lounges and loyalty programs of both airlines, bringing substantial benefits and new destinations to travellers. Launched in September 2022, the partnership opens seamless travel to over 150 destinations across the extensive Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia networks, creating a new gateway of seamless travel between Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa, including popular destinations such as London, Paris, Rome and Athens. Perth is one of Australia’s most cultural cities, with its origins woven into many of its landmarks. The increased capacity extends Qatar Airways’ commitment to the Australian community by providing greater opportunities for connections to many destinations in its global network. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We want to demonstrate our commitment to Australia by continuing the work we did during the pandemic to keep Australians connected. It is imperative for Australian travellers to feel welcome in our city whether they are transiting or visiting Doha. During the much anticipated FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, all flights to and from Perth will be scheduled taking into consideration football match timings …

Emirates announced plans to debut its newly retrofitted A380s featuring its latest Premium Economy cabins to five new cities from December – New York JFK, San Francisco, Melbourne, Auckland and Singapore. The airline will also add more Premium Economy seats on services to London Heathrow and Sydney, as its newly enhanced aircraft sporting refreshed cabins roll into scheduled service. The airline aims to offer customers more opportunities to experience its highly acclaimed Premium Economy product, and its latest deployment plans will also see 85 A380s back in the sky by December, well-timed to serve the year-end travel demand. Emirates’ enhanced A380s with Premium Economy to New York JFK, San Francisco, Melbourne, Auckland and Singapore will operate as follows: To New York JFK, Emirates will operate with its newly retrofitted A380 on EK203 and EK 204, starting from 1 December. To Auckland, Emirates will debut its Premium Economy cabin on EK 448 and EK 449, starting 15 January 2023. From 1 February 2023, Melbourne will become the second Australian destination to be served with the signature Emirates A380 featuring Premium Economy. Services will be deployed on EK 406 and EK 407. San Francisco will become the second US destination to be served by the retrofitted A380 with refreshed interiors on EK 225 and EK 226, starting on 15 February 2023. Emirates’ enhanced A380 with Premium Economy will land in Singapore for the first time on 1 March 2023, operating as EK 354 and EK 355. Emirates will also update its schedules to London Heathrow, Sydney and New York JFK with its retrofitted A380 aircraft operating on the following services: From 15 December 2022, Sydney will become the first city in the …

Emirates announces that its flagship A380 service will be introduced for the first time to Bengaluru from 30 October to serve its customers on the busy route. Emirates also becomes the first airline to operate scheduled passenger services utilising the A380, the world’s largest commercial aircraft in service, at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. The aircraft upgrade will allow customers travelling to and from the South Indian city to enjoy its signature services across a broader network. Bengaluru will be the second city in India to be served by the iconic Emirates A380 aircraft, with customers enjoying the signature experience on the Dubai – Mumbai route since 2014. The daily A380 flights will operate as EK568/569 with an aircraft in a three-class configuration, offering seats in Economy Class, in addition to premium cabins, in Business Class and First Class. The deployment of the double-decker aircraft will complement its existing services, EK564/565 and EK566/567, each also operating on a daily basis with modern wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft. Flights EK564/565 will operate using a mix of Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft while EK566/567 will offer seats in First Class, Business Class and Economy Class aboard a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. From 30 October, Emirates’ three daily flights to/ from Bengaluru will operate as follows: Dates Flight Departure  Arrival Aircraft type From 30 October EK564 (DXB/BLR) 03:40 08:50 Boeing 777 EK565 (BLR/DXB) 10:25 13:00 From 30 October EK566 (DXB/BLR) 13:35 18:35 Boeing 777 EK567 (BLR/DXB) 20:20 23:00 From 30 October EK568 (DXB/BLR) 21:25 02:30 (next day) A380 From 31 October EK569 (BLR/DXB) 04:30 07:10 *All times are local.

Emirates expects a busy summer and is set to operate as scheduled over the peak travel season, including at its 39 European points with its London Stansted route re-starting from 1 August. With over 24,000 scheduled passenger flights to and from 129 airports around the world for July and August, Emirates has been co-ordinating with its ground handling partners at airports around the world, ensuring they are up-to-date with operational requirements and are prepared to support smooth passenger movement. Emirates has also worked closely with other stakeholders at Dubai Airport to support its flight schedule and services, provisioning additional resources to ensure efficient operations at the hub, including for transiting passengers. Those visiting Dubai or doing a summer stopover can ease through departures and arrivals with speedy biometrics-enabled check-points; and utilise various convenient options for mobile, online, home, and self-check in. The double-decked Emirates A380 aircraft is also being deployed to serve high customer demand at over 30 cities around its network, this includes popular European cities: Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Rome, Paris, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Vienna, and Zurich. Whether travelling for the holidays or to visit family and friends, customers can look forward to all of Emirates’ signature experiences. On ground, this includes complimentary Chauffeur Drive airport transfers for First and Business Class customers in nearly all cities served by Emirates. Onboard, customers in all cabins can expect freshly prepared meals inspired by the season and region, and an unmatched selection of the latest movies, TV shows, radio, live TV, podcasts and more on the 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment on Emirates ice. Flight updates and travel advisories: To receive the latest flight updates, customers are …

Emirates is taking its signature A380 experience to the next level with the unveil of a brand new Premium Economy cabin product, together with enhancements and a refreshed look across all cabins onboard its newest A380 aircraft. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said, “The Emirates A380 is already one of the most sought-after travel experiences in the skies, and now we’ve made it even better. While others cut back, Emirates is working hard to restore the products and services that we’ve had to suspend or adjust due to pandemic precautions, and introduce new offerings and enhancements. True to our fly better promise, Emirates continues to invest to offer our customers the best possible experience.” The airline received its newest A380 aircraft from Airbus’ Hamburg facility last week, and its remaining order of 5 A380s will also be delivered with premium economy cabins over 2021 and 2022. Emirates’ premium economy seats will also be installed on some of its Boeing 777X aircraft which are only due to join the fleet in 2023. Emirates is considering plans to retrofit its existing A380 fleet. Commenting on Emirates’ premium economy cabins, Sir Tim said, “Our Premium Economy product was carefully developed in keeping with Emirates’ brand positioning as a full-service airline of the highest quality. Our First, Business and Economy experiences reset industry standards when they were introduced, and we are confident that our Premium Economy will also make its mark as a distinct premium offering. Until we have a viable number of seats in our inventory to bring to market, we plan to offer the Emirates Premium Economy experience as a complimentary upgrade to valued customers. We’ll also deploy our newest A380 …

Emirates is gearing up for a big summer in Muscat with the deployment of double daily A380 flights from July 1. The airline will operate the A380 on EK 862/863 and EK864/865 to and from Muscat International Airport (MCT). Muscat will become Emirates’ shortest scheduled A380 flight, flying a distance of 340 kilometres each way. The new A380 services to Muscat demonstrate the airline’s agile approach to fleet deployment and its commitment to providing an enhanced onboard experience for its passengers. Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Centre, said, “The introduction of the A380 services to Muscat means more of our customers will have the opportunity to experience our industry-leading products onboard, and will also enhance choice and travel preferences as they plan their journeys. Oman is an important destination for Emirates, and we will continue to look at ways to grow our operations in the market to best serve our customers. We thank Muscat International Airport and the government authorities for their support in making the A380 double daily operations happen.” Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni, CEO, Oman Airports, said, “From its side, Muscat International Airport has demonstrated its readiness for this extraordinary event, and the arrival of these scheduled flights for this giant aircraft is a gain to prove the large airport capacity to accommodate an aircraft of this size.” The launch of the A380 flights will come exactly one year after the first deployment of a scheduled one-off A380 service that marked 25 years of operations to Oman, and reaffirmed the airport’s infrastructure readiness to handle double-decker operations. The twice daily A380 services will replace EK 862/863 and EK 864/865.