Emirates has become the first international airline to join The Solent Cluster, a UK initiative focused on low carbon investments established to reduce CO2 emissions from industry, transport and households in the South Coast of England. The Solent Cluster is a cross-sector collaboration of international organisations, including manufacturers and engineering companies, regional businesses and industries, leading logistics and infrastructure operators and academic institutions. Emirates joins over 100 members as part of the Cluster, alongside founding members the Solent Partners (previously the Solent LEP), global energy provider ExxonMobil and University of Southampton. The founding members have each shared details of their vision for the Solent and how it could secure existing jobs and produce low-carbon fuels for a variety of sectors, including aviation. Sustainable aviation fuel potential The Solent Cluster has the potential to create a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) plant with an estimated fuel production capacity of 200,000 tonnes (200 kt) per year. If approved, the plant could start operating in 2032. Jet fuel produced by the SAF plant could avoid emissions of 563 kilotons of CO2 per year by producing fuel with 70% less emissions than fossil kerosene. Existing pipeline networks can supply the SAF from the plant to major airports served by Emirates such as Heathrow and Gatwick. Emirates’ long-term aspiration to secure UK-produced SAF with The Solent Cluster is in addition to several SAF initiatives the airline has announced over the last year. It follows Emirates’ A380 and Boeing 777 demonstration flights using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel in 2023. Emirates has expanded its partnership with Neste for the supply of SAF in 2024 and 2025 for its operations in Amsterdam and Singapore. The airline also uplifted SAF for the …
Read More »Emirates Aviation University and Boeing ignite passion for aeronautical careers
202 students from 24 UAE schools made a splash at Emirates Aviation University’s seventh Water Rocket Competition, held in collaboration with Boeing. Students in grades 11 and 12 from schools across the UAE built rockets using materials at hand. Each year, the challenge for participants is to launch water rockets at a 45-degree angle, powered solely by water and air pressure. Students design creative nose cones and fins for enhanced impact protection. During the competition they also learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This year, teams had two hours to complete the task and were given two attempts to launch their rockets. Professor Ahmad Al Ali, Vice Chancellor of Emirates Aviation University, said: “Emirates Aviation University is committed to innovating and fostering creativity in young minds. Our annual Water Rocket Competition is not just exciting for the student community, it’s also an opportunity to bring in the best and brightest young minds of the country together, challenge them, and encourage them to think about STEM careers. Watching students brainstorm, collaborate, and construct these rockets is an eye-opening experience every year. We hope they are inspired to become leaders in science and engineering. We thank Boeing for their support and for making this challenge a success once again.” Kuljit Ghata-Aura, Boeing President in the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, and Central Asia, added: “From launching the Arab world’s first uncrewed mission to Mars to signing the Artemis Accords, the UAE is rapidly emerging as a leader in space exploration. At Boeing, we have been part of every major U.S. endeavor to escape Earth’s gravity. We are excited to continue to partner with Emirates Aviation University to inspire a new generation of …
Read More »Emirates boosts services to Brazil and Argentina to five weekly flights from December
Emirates announced a fifth frequency on its Dubai – Rio de Janeiro route, starting 7 December 2024. The additional weekly flight on Saturdays will provide increased capacity on its service to the Brazilian city and will support the growing demand for travel on the route. Additionally, the linked service allows travellers to conveniently travel onwards to the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires. Emirates’ increase of capacity on its Dubai/Rio de Janeiro/Buenos Aires route will help the airline to meet market demand and offer customers greater flexibility, choice, and connectivity. With the fifth scheduled service, customers will now have more choice when selecting flights to suit their travel plans. The additional weekly frequency between Dubai, Brazil and Argentina will operate as EK247 and EK248 in a 2-class configuration. Tickets can be booked immediately on emirates.com, the Emirates App, and travel agencies. EK247 and EK248 is scheduled to operate with timings as follows (all times are local): Flight Departure Arrival EK247 (DXB/GIG) 08:05 15:55 EK247 (GIG/EZE) 17:30 20:55 EK248 (EZE/GIG) 22:30 01:15 (next day) EK248 (GIG/DXB) 02:55 00:30 (next day) The added flights to be deployed in December will offer 302 seats on each flight in Economy Class and Business Class. Customers can enjoy the spaciousness and privacy of the aircraft’s configuration in Business Class, in the coveted 2-2-2 layout. The airline’s boosted services to Brazil and Argentina are expected to facilitate additional connectivity for passengers travelling between these countries and other popular destinations in Emirates’ network including the UAE, Japan, Thailand, Maldives, Egypt, mainland China and Hong Kong, Turkey, South Korea, India, Australia and Indonesia. With Brazil and Argentina being home to the two largest Lebanese communities in Latin America, Emirates regularly serves …
Read More »Emirates doubles its Premium Economy service in Melbourne
Emirates will introduce an additional Premium Economy service between Melbourne and Dubai, available from the 1 February 2024 on EK408 and EK409. The additional service follows the debut of Emirates’ Premium Economy service from Melbourne in April 2023, when the new cabin was made available on the daily EK406 and EK407 services. This latest development means Emirates now offers close to 800 weekly Premium Economy seats between Melbourne and its Dubai hub. The Premium Economy cabin offers a signature experience unmatched in the industry, offering plush cream leather seats and a wood veneer, a generous baggage allowance and an exceptional dining experience, staffed by a team of Cabin Crew dedicated to Premium Economy passengers. The added Premium Economy service means that the airline will be serving Australia with close to 3200 seats, including two daily services from Sydney and two daily services from Melbourne, maintaining Australia’s position as one of the key markets served with the airline’s best-in-class Premium Economy cabins. Since tickets for the Emirates Premium Economy service went on sale in Sydney in August 2022 and in Melbourne in April 2023, the new cabin class has exceeded expectations and forecasts with more than 90,000 passengers flying to and from Australia opting for the new cabin experience. Premium Economy seats from Sydney and Melbourne have averaged over 80 per cent load factors and the airline continues to anticipate consistently high demand for the new cabin class in Melbourne as consumer confidence and travel demand continue to accelerate in the new year. Barry Brown, Divisional Vice President Australasia at Emirates, says “As one of the most important markets in our global network, we are committed to offering Australians not only greater connectivity but also more …
Read More »Emirates and Azul expand partnership to offer joint loyalty programme benefits
Emirates and Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras S.A (Azul) have taken their partnership to new heights with the launch of a reciprocal loyalty programme offering. Emirates Skywards and TudoAzul frequent flyer members can now earn and redeem Miles across a joint network of more than 290 destinations worldwide. The two carriers launched a codeshare partnership in 2021 to provide customers enhanced connectivity to/from eight cities in Brazil to Emirates’ global network via Sao Paulo. Dr. Nejib Ben Khedher, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Skywards, said: “We’re very pleased to be announcing a new partnership with Azul, the largest airline in Brazil. Skywards members can now rack up even more Miles while discovering hundreds of cities across Brazil and South America. Azul members can also look forward to earning and redeeming Miles on more than 130 destinations across Emirates’ global network. We look forward to the start of a great partnership and to unlocking fantastic benefits for our frequent flyer members.” Cristina Yoshida, Director of Loyalty Program & Ancillary Revenue at Azul, added: “Our partnership with Emirates, a company globally recognized for its excellence in service, means a significant progress in our mission to provide memorable experiences to the customers. We are expanding Azul’s destinations and portfolio, reinforcing our commitment to a loyalty program that offers the best options to the members.” More opportunities to “earn and burn” Miles Under the agreement, Emirates Skywards members can earn Miles while traveling across Azul’s network of more than 150 destinations. Skywards members earn up to 1 Skywards Mile per mile flown in Economy class, and up to 1.5 Skywards Miles per mile flown in Business Class. Members can also redeem flight rewards on Azul …
Read More »Emirates A380 returns to Vienna
Emirates is welcoming the new year in Austria with great news: From 21 February until the end of the winter flight schedule (30 March 2024), the flights EK127 and EK 128 which are currently operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will be upgraded to a three-class A380 aircraft, boosting capacity and adding more options for travellers to and from Vienna. Emirates’ flight EK127 leaves Dubai at 08:55hrs and arrives in the Austrian capital at 12:25hrs. The return flight EK128, departs Vienna at 15:10hrs and arrives in Dubai at 23:40hrs. All times are local. Emirates passengers travelling from Vienna will once again enjoy the unique experience offered by the world’s largest passenger aircraft, including First Class suites and shower spas, the onboard lounge and, of course, the best international and regionally inspired cuisine. The award-winning in-flight entertainment system ice offers up to 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment. Elisabeth Zauner, Country Manager Emirates Austria, is delighted about the return of the Emirates A380 to Vienna: “The deployment of our A380 until the end of the winter schedule is a great milestone for us, which emphasises the importance of Vienna as a destination and as a departure point. We naturally hope that our flagship will return permanently in the future.” Vienna has had to do without the Emirates A380 since August 2022. With this change in the winter flight schedule, an expression of the airline’s dynamic and demand-oriented fleet planning, Emirates will now be the only airline to serve Vienna Airport with the two-deck fan-favourite A380. The evening flights EK 126 and EK 125 will continue to be operated as usual with a B777-300 ER.. In order to guarantee a particularly high standard …
Read More »Emirates flies Real Madrid in style ahead of the Spanish Super Cup in Riyadh
Emirates helped the iconic football club take to the skies in style and ‘fly better’ from Madrid to the Saudi capital on a specially planned charter flight, ahead of the Spanish Super Cup match. Onboard the special charter flight, Nacho Fernández, Eduardo Camavinga, Vini Jr., Luka Modric and other star players experienced bespoke inflight services to rest and recharge ahead of the match. A customized menu for the club featured creative culinary delights inspired by their trip. Specially branded touchpoints and meticulous attention to detail rounded off the inflight experience. The players were also spoilt for choice as they browsed their favourite shows, movies and music on Emirates’ ice inflight entertainment system. Emirates has been proudly supporting Real Madrid as its official partner since 2011, joining up fan experiences with the iconic club to reach its massive fanbase of over 500 million loyal followers around the world. The airline has helped connect Real Madrid on special flights for numerous tours, including sporting events staged in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The airline will continue as the Official Main Airline Partner of Real Madrid until 2026, making it the longest shirt sponsorship in the history of LaLiga.
Read More »Emirates ramps up Seoul operations to 10 weekly flights
Emirates reinforces its commitment to South Korea by ramping up its operations in Seoul with three additional weekly flights starting 19 February 2024.The new flights will operate as EK324/ EK325 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, Emirates’ flight EK324 will depart Dubai at 0445hrs, landing in Seoul Incheon International Airport at 1805hrs. The return flight EK325 will depart Seoul at 2200hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0315hrs the following day. Emirates’ additional services will increase the capacity on flights between Dubai and Seoul by more than 1,000 additional seats per week, helping to alleviate the suppressed demand for international travel to one of the most popular East Asian destinations and supporting South Korea’s inbound and outbound tourism. The airline’s ramped-up operations will further serve the need for adding more flights between UAE and Korea, in line with the strong bilateral relations between the two nations. Through the three weekly Boeing 777 flights, Emirates will provide 45 tonnes of additional cargo capacity between Dubai and Seoul, boosting the trade and economic ties between South Korea and the UAE as well as through Dubai and beyond to more global destinations in Emirates’ network, further contributing to Korea’s economy and facilitating convenient air connectivity for the Republic’s imports and exports. Emirates launched services to Seoul in 2005 and currently operates a daily Airbus A380 service from Dubai. With the additional services, the airline will serve Seoul with 10 weekly flights operated by a mix of its signature Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, guaranteeing more flexibility and choice for its customers to and from Dubai, as well as beyond to its global network of over 130 destinations.Travellers flying with …
Read More »Emirates joins UAE-based research consortium for renewable and advanced aviation fuels
Emirates joins UAE based research consortium for renewable and advanced aviation fuels. In the UAE Year of Sustainability, and at the 3rd ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) was held in Dubai, eight founding entities announced the launch of the “Air-CRAFT” initiative – a UAE based research consortium focused on developing, producing, and scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technologies. Air-CRAFT, or the UAE Centre for Renewable and Advanced Fuel Technologies for Aviation, is a first-of-its-kind initiative that will bring together entities across the value chain – industrial policy makers, aviation regulators, fuel producers, academia and researchers, aircraft and powerplant manufacturers, and airline operators. While based in the UAE, the consortium will also engage with, and welcome the participation of relevant international entities as it progresses. The new initiative was announced on the sidelines of CAAF/3 today and ahead of COP28. Air-CRAFT is supported by the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. “The aviation sector holds great importance as a key contributor to the GDP and as a target sector for our robust decarbonization drive,” said His Excellency Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. “The UAE has committed to reaching net zero by 2050, and this goal can only be achieved by slashing the emissions across the board. Air-CRAFT will go a long way in supporting the decarbonization of the aviation sector, helping to make it resilient and sustainable well into the future.” His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy of the UAE and Chairman of the GCAA said: Introducing ‘Air-CRAFT’ at CAAF3 in Dubai emphasizes the UAE’s commitment to accelerate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, uniting government, private sector, and academia …
Read More »Emirates world’s first airline to operate A380 demonstration flight with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Emirates has become the world’s first airline to operate an A380 demonstration flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Today’s flight, proudly commanded by Captain Khalid Binsultan and Captain Philippe Lombet, took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB) with one of four engines powered on 100% SAF, helping demonstrate its potential as a drop-in replacement that matches jet fuel’s technical and chemical requirements, while being a more sustainable alternative. SAF can reduce carbon emissions by up to 85%* over the fuel’s life cycle when compared to conventional jet fuel. Demonstration flights like the one conducted today pave the way for future standardisation, qualification and adoption for 100% SAF flying, as governments adopt broader strategies to support the production and scale up of SAF. The A380 demonstration flight underlines the performance and compatibility of SAF, making it a safe and reliable fuel source, and contributes to the growing body of research carried out by the industry to evaluate the beneficial effects of 100% SAF on aircraft performance. SAF is currently capped at a 50% blend limit in engines for commercial flights. The Emirates A380 demonstration flight comes as the aviation industry, international organisations, regulatory bodies and high-level officials driving policy-related decisions converge in Dubai for the Third International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3). Dedicated collaborators from Airbus, Engine Alliance, Pratt & Whitney, Neste, Virent and ENOC have been working on the testing, technical assessments and data analysis for today’s flight. The 100% drop-in SAF used on today’s flight includes renewable aromatics and closely mimics the characteristics of conventional jet fuel. This is the first time that drop-in SAF has been used on an A380 aircraft, …
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