Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, announced on Tuesday that it will add a second Airbus A380 service on the Dubai – Sydney route from 1 June 2013. The second A380 will operate on the early morning service and demonstrates the airline’s commitment to New South Wales and demand for the flagship aircraft.
Currently served by a Boeing 777-300ER, deploying the Airbus A380 on Emirates’ flights EK414 and EK415 will see an increase in capacity of 1,890 seats per week.
“Emirates’ decision to commit a second A380 on the flights to Sydney is a clear indication of customer demand for the state-of-the-art aircraft and the growing popularity of the early morning Sydney service,” said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East and Australasia.
According to a recent Deloitte report, titled ‘The Economic Value of Sydney Airport,’ the benefits of an additional Airbus A380 between Dubai and Sydney would contribute an estimated AUS$ 342 million (AED 1.2 billion) to Australia’s GDP; AUS$ 206 million (AED 777 million) to Australia’s household income and AUS$ 213 million (AED 804 million) to New South Wales’ GDP.
The report also notes that 4,400 jobs would be created as a result of the additional A380 service, with 2,800 in New South Wales, currently as a group, Emirates directly employs 1,420 people in New South Wales.
Pending regulatory approval, the Qantas and Emirates global aviation partnership will commence 31 March, and will see Qantas and Emirates as the only airlines operating at Dubai International Airport’s Concourse A, built exclusively for the A380. The two airlines will jointly offer 98 weekly services between Australia and the global gateway city of Dubai, including five daily A380 flights from 1 June.
Concourse A has the capacity to handle 15 million passengers a year, offering customers a seamless and unrivalled experience in terms of comfort and convenience, as well the ability to connect to 20 Emirates A380 destinations around the world.
Emirates flight EK414 departs Dubai at 0215hrs and arrives in Sydney at 2205hrs, the return flight EK415 departs Sydney at 0600hrs the following day and arrives in Dubai at 1430hrs.
Emirates sets the pace for A380 deployment, with the aircraft having carried 14 million passengers on 35,000 trips spanning 200 million kilometres since A380 operations commenced five years ago. In 2012 alone, Emirates added 11 A380s to its fleet and remains the largest operator of the aircraft, with 31 in the fleet and 59 on order.
The Emirates A380 is set in a three-class configuration, with 399 seats in Economy Class on the lower level and 76 fully flat-bed, mini-pods in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites on the upper level. Passengers in the First Class cabin can freshen up in one of two on-board Shower Spas before joining fellow premium class travellers in the On-Board Lounge where they can enjoy complimentary beverages and canapés.
The second daily Dubai-Sydney-Dubai A380 announcement complements a flurry of recent upgrades of Australian services, including the introduction of a daily Melbourne A380, a daily Adelaide service and a three times daily Perth service to commence from 1 March.
