Emirates, one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines, has just taken delivery of the first of its fleet of 30 new Boeing 777-300ERs (Extended Range.)
Part of an unprecedented US $30 billion fleet expansion programme, the arrival of the new airliner at Dubai airport marks the start of an intense and unprecedented delivery cycle of 100 pending orders that will see the Emirates fleet grow at an average rate of one new aircraft per month through 2012.
Emirates has 30 Boeing 777-300ERs currently on firm order and will receive 10 of them by the end of 2005. The new 777-300ER will be used primarily to provide extra capacity on existing long-range services such as Manila, Bangkok, Sydney and Auckland.
The newest addition to the Emirates’ fleet was handed over to the airline at a ceremony in Seattle, Washington state, U.S.A., attended by Emirates’ Chairman HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum and other senior Emirates executives, and Boeing’s Chairman and CEO Alan Mulally. The aircraft later took off on its maiden voyage to Dubai and completed the flight from the Pacific coast of the U.S.A. in just under 14 hours.
Emirates’ fleet already included 21 Boeing 777s, a number set to grow to 51 by late 2007, making Emirates one of the largest 777 operators in the world.
HH Sheikh Ahmed said: “The 777-300ER is an economically sound option for us to meet the growing customer demand for more Emirates capacity on long-haul routes. Our trust in the 777 family stems from the proven performance and reliability of those aircraft already in operation in the Emirates fleet. Our passengers also appreciate its interior roominess, which enhances the on-board service that Emirates is known for.”
The First Class cabin, served by four cabin crew, will offer passengers roomy, state-of-the-art sleeper seats with fully flat beds. They also incorporate a personal mini-bar, an electronically operated privacy partition and a 19 inch LCD monitor on which passengers can enjoy Emirates’ unique Information, Communications and Entertainment system.
ICE and its multitude of entertainment, email and SMS options which include 500 channels of video, audio and games on demand, also are available to passengers traveling in either Business or Economy Class.
Business Class offers passengers comfortable sleeperette seats with a pitch of up to 60 inches and an adjustable winged head-rest with six-way movement. Economy passengers can enjoy more comfort than ever with roomy cabins, 34 inch seat pitch, adjustable footrests and headrests.
Emirates Airline currently operates three direct flights each week from Dubai to Malta: on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays on A330-200. This flight gives a convenient connection to outgoing and incoming passengers from Australia and the Far East.