Tag Archives: Emirates

Emirates’ flagship A380 made a landmark touchdown at Christchurch Airport, marking the resumption of its daily service from Dubai to Christchurch via Sydney after more than three years. The special service was greeted by a crowd of spectators at the Christchurch Airport boundary, who watched as the iconic aircraft taxied through a ceremonial water canon salute, before parking in view of trade, media, and VIP guests at the international terminal. Outbound EK412 left Dubai at 10:15 local time, stopping briefly in Sydney before arriving in Christchurch at 13:55 hours the next day, New Zealand time. On board the first flight back to Christchurch, Barry Brown, Divisional Vice President Australasia, Emirates, said: “Seeing the water cannon salute after we touched down in the first Emirates A380 flight in more than three years is a reminder of how special the aircraft is to Christchurch, since its first arrival in 2016. The significance of the occasion was also clear on the faces of the other passengers on board, who understood what this service means for Christchurch and connecting it to the world.” “Not only has Christchurch again become the smallest city on Emirates’ A380 network, but New Zealand is now the first country on our network to exclusively carry our four cabin A380 and our best product yet. The phenomenal customer response from the moment tickets went on sale, both in and out of Christchurch, speak to a city in high demand.” Phil Mauger Christchurch Mayor said: “The return of the Emirates A380 service is a great boost for Christchurch and the wider South Island. It shows we’re open for business and welcoming travellers after several years of Covid restrictions. I wish the …

Emirates will deploy its signature A380 aircraft to Bali starting from 1 June 2023, marking a milestone in Indonesia’s aviation history as the first A380 service to the country. The new 2-class Emirates A380 service will replace one of the two daily services to Bali currently operated by a 2-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline’s debut A380 flight EK368, will depart from Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 03:25 hrs, arriving in Denpasar International Airport (DPS) at 16:35 hrs local time. The returning flight, EK369, will depart Bali at 19:40 hrs, arriving in Dubai at 00:45 hrs local time. All times are local. Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, the Emirates App, at Emirates sales offices, and via both online and offline travel agents. Travellers are also encouraged to check the Emirates website for the latest travel requirements. Highlighting the deployment of the world’s largest passenger aircraft to Bali, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The Emirates A380 is synonymous with our fly better promise and world-class products and services, and we’re excited to offer our travellers the opportunity to experience its uniqueness and unmatched beauty on flights to and from Bali. Needless to say that we’ve been working closely with our partners at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport to ensure our A380 operations will be seamless and smooth. We’d like to thank the authorities and our partners for all their support. Bali continues to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in our network and strategic markets in Southeast Asia, and the Emirates A380’s debut in Indonesia underscores our long-standing commitment to its travel and tourism sector. We look forward to driving more inbound traffic to the island, …

Emirates has boosted operations by 31% (total ASKMs) since the start of its financial year and has further plans to ramp up seat capacity in its latest published northern summer schedule starting 26 March 2023. In the past months, the airline has planned and executed the rapid growth of its network operations – reintroducing services to 5 cities; launching flights to 1 new destination (Tel Aviv), adding 251 weekly flights onto existing routes; and continuing the roll-out of service enhancements in the air and on the ground. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “Emirates continues to expand its global network and deploy its capacity to meet travel demand across the world. Our financial year started relatively quietly as we held back our ramp up until the planned northern runway rehabilitation program at Dubai International airport was completed in June. From July 2022 onwards, it’s been non-stop expansion.” He added: “Customer demand has been very strong, and our forward bookings are also robust. Emirates is working hard on several fronts – to bring back operating capacity as quickly as the ecosystem can manage, while also upgrading our fleet and product to ensure our customers always enjoy the best possible Emirates experience. So far, 4 of our A380 aircraft have been completely refurbished with our new cabin interiors and Premium Economy seats, and more will enter service as our US$2 billion cabin and service enhancement program picks up pace.” In the coming months, established routes to Europe, Australia and Africa will be served with more Emirates flights, while in East Asia, more cities are seeing route restarts. Upcoming A380 deployments in Northern Summer 2023 season: Emirates continues to scale up its …

The Emirates Group and Dubai Future Foundation have today signed a significant partnership to launch the Emirates Centre of Excellence for Aviation Robotics (ECEAR). The agreement was signed at ForsaTEK, the Group’s innovation forum. Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said: “This is a key milestone in the Emirates Group’s innovation journey and a remarkable step for the aviation industry. Our partnership with Dubai Future Foundation helps realise our own vision for aviation and supports Dubai’s vision to be one of the world’s leading futuristic cities. This will give us a true opportunity to take advantage of evolving technology, allowing us to continually expand the use of robotics and technological applications in our customer journey and improve operational efficiency. Investing in focused R&D will allow us to transform our business in the digital era, make more use of AI, give tangible benefits to our customers and stakeholders, and will keep us ahead.” His Excellency Khalfan Juma Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, said the launch of the Emirates Centre of Excellence for Aviation Robotics embodies the importance of incubating top national and international talents in Dubai to develop robotic solutions that support the growth of the aviation sector. Belhoul said the agreement will provide fresh and diverse economic opportunities centred on developing technologies of futures. He added: “The outputs of this initiative will contribute to advancing “Dubai Robotics and Automation Program”, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Future Foundation’s Board of Trustees, which aims to make Dubai one of the leading cities in the world within this field, …

Emirates and Philippine Airlines (PAL) have signed an interline agreement to boost connectivity for passengers of both air carriers to new points on each other’s networks via Manila and Dubai, using a single ticket and one baggage policy. Now in effect, the reciprocal interline partnership provides Emirates’ passengers access to 19 Philippine domestic destinations operated by Philippine Airlines, including Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Cotabato, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo and more, as well as two Asian regional points via Manila. Philippine Airlines’ passengers also benefit from access to Emirates’ global network and seamlessly connect to 21 cities operated by Emirates beyond Dubai to European destinations such as London, Rome, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Paris and Kuwait, as well as to Jeddah and other points in the Middle East , Africa and India. Travel itineraries can be booked on emirates.com, philippineairlines.com, the Emirates and PAL mobile apps, or via both online and offline travel agents. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer commented: “The Philippines is one of our strongest consumer markets and we’re pleased to sign a new interline agreement with the country’s flag carrier. The partnership with Philippine Airlines will help open new links for trade and tourism that will drive more inbound traffic into the market, and expand Emirates’ footprint in East Asia. We look forward to serving our partner airline’s customers with additional travel choices to Emirates destinations across the Middle East, Europe as well as the Americas, and to expanding our cooperation with plans to include additional points via Cebu in the coming months.” Bud Britanico, Philippine Airlines Vice President for Sales commented:  “We are happy to embark on this new interline partnership with Emirates that expands the choices available …

Emirates will soon build an advanced training facility to accommodate 6 Full Flight Simulator Bays (FFS) for its future Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X aircraft. The brand new, 63,318 sq. ft. facility is slated to open in March 2024. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group, said: “This US$ 135 million investment to build a new pilot training centre will ensure Emirates’ readiness to commence its pilot training ahead of the delivery of its new aircraft fleet starting from 2024. The building will be equipped with the latest, technologically advanced simulators to provide the best training for pilots, while using solar power to reduce energy consumption.” The new building will be adjacent to the existing Emirates Training Facilities in Dubai, which will provide a great integration and close proximity to all the other pilot training centres. Pilot trainees will also benefit from being able to set-up and configure the cockpit environment using bespoke devices as part of the pilot training module and upload the data to the Full Flight Simulator (FFS) prior to commencing their training session. This innovative, first-of-its-kind concept is designed to shorten the trainee’s preparatory time inside the simulator, help them maintain focus and take full advantage of the training duration. With the addition of the new building to Emirates’ existing training colleges in Dubai, the airline will have the potential to expand its pilot training capacity by 54% per year. Across the airline’s training buildings, Emirates’ pilots will have increased flexibility and facilities to hone their flying skills with 17 full flight simulator bays offering a capacity of more than 130,000 training hours a year. In line with …

Emirates announced that it will boost its operations to and from Cairo to 28 weekly flights, effective 29 October, 2023. The additional flights provide more options for customers to connect to Dubai and beyond with enhanced schedules and the opportunity to enjoy more of the Emirates A380’s signature experience. The operational boost will see Emirates operating four daily flights, thrice daily on the A380 and a daily service on the Boeing 777. Cairo has the highest deployment of Emirates A380 services in the MENA region, outside of Dubai. The additional services and upgrade of seat capacity  on the Dubai-Cairo route will help meet high demand to and from Cairo and support the country’s tourism revival with the addition of more than 2,200 weekly seats in each direction. EK921 will now operate daily, departing at 1200hrs from Dubai to arrive at Cairo International Airport at 1415hrs. The return service EK922 will depart from Cairo at 1615hrs, to arrive at 2145hrs in Dubai. Emirates’ third A380 service to Cairo, EK925 will depart Dubai at 20:40hrs landing at 22:55hrs. EK926 will then depart Cairo, the following day at 00:40 hrs, to arrive in Dubai at 06:10hrs. The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after by travellers for its spacious and comfortable cabins, and signature products that offer travellers the best experiences in the sky like the Onboard Lounge, First Class suites and Shower Spa. The airline currently deploys its flagship A380 to 41 destinations worldwide. The modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration on flights to Cairo offer Emirates’ award-winning service and industry-leading products, with private suites in First Class, lie flat seats in Business Class and spacious seats in Economy Class. …

Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight on a Boeing 777-300ER, powering one of its engines with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB), and was commanded by Captain Fali Vajifdar and Captain Khalid Nasser Akram, flying for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline. The flight deck crew were accompanied by Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, and Captain Hassan Hammadi, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Flight Operations. The demonstration flight powered by SAF holds particular significance as the UAE declares 2023 the ‘Year of Sustainability’. The year will showcase the UAE’s commitment to seek innovative solutions to challenges such as energy, climate change and other issues related to sustainability. The flight supports collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying and help advance the UAE’s sustainability objectives. Emirates’ demonstration flight, the first in the Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100% SAF, supports broader efforts to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions as the industry looks to scale up its use of SAF. The flights will also help to refine the playbook for future SAF demonstrations, and  support future certification where 100% drop-in SAF fuel is approved for aircraft. Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel. Emirates worked alongside partners GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF that closely replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel. At each blend ratio, a host of chemical and physical fuel property measurements were carried out.  After multiple lab tests and rigorous trials, they arrived at …

With Itvar as the GSA, Fiji Airways officially launched in the Middle East last week. As an offline carrier Fiji Airways has codeshare partnerships currently with Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific with Singapore and Hong Kong as the connection points for the guests travelling from the Middle East. HE Naipota Tako Katonitabua – Ambassador – Republic of Fiji in UAE graced the occasion of the official launch and stated that the relationship between the UAE and Fiji has been a ling standing one not just with sports tourism but also with a mega project that will be announced soon by a hospitality developer in the UAE for a three million dollar project where the information will be disclosed soon. Speaking with TTME, Sajid Khan Country Manager for India, Middle East and Sri Lanka of Fiji Airways shared, “We are very excited to have Fiji Airways in the Middle East and it has been here for almost a year but we don’t fly into Dubai or the Middle East. We are an offline carrier and we fly from Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, these are our Asian points of connect, the plan has always been to connect from Dubai, from other parts of Middle East into Singapore, into Hong Kong and then onwards connect Fiji. The airport’s name is Nandi. We can also connect to Nandi via Australia and New Zealand and that’s always been the plan. We are now excited to be in Dubai and launch this officially so that we can give a new destination to our passengers based in Middle East who want to connect from Europe, Africa and we want to take them to the country …

The Emirates Group and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) are set to collaborate in the launch of a training programme for the airline’s Emirati Country Managers. The innovative programme is designed to enhance the diplomatic skills of managers who are stationed around the world, and forms part of the Group’s new Commercial Ambassador Leadership Programme. A ceremony to celebrate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was held at the Emirates Group headquarters, attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to the President of the UAE, Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, and Member of the Board of Trustees at AGDA, along with senior executives and representatives of both organisations. The MoU was signed by Amira Al Falasi, Emirates Group’s Vice president, Human Resources, Learning and Talent, and Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri, AGDA’s Deputy Director General. The AGDA’s 5-day programme will provide Emirati Country Managers with a comprehensive understanding of the diplomatic skills needed to effectively represent the Emirates Group abroad, and to achieve their business and commercial objectives. The series of tailored and practical training courses will also serve as a platform for knowledge exchange to enrich Emirati managers’ capabilities in the aviation sector. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed said, “The Emirates Group is a global company based in Dubai. We are proud to represent the UAE’s aviation sector and we work to promote the UAE in all the markets in which we operate. In AGDA we have found a like-minded partner, and we believe our collaboration will further develop and empower our team of …