Air travellers will be able to experience Emirates Airline’s state-of-the-art A380 aircraft for the first time on 1 August, when the airline launches its first A380 commercial service from Dubai to New York JFK. The 14-hour non-stop flight will also be the first-ever commercial A380 service to the Americas.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “The Americas represent a key focus area in Emirates’ route development plans, and we are delighted to be the first airline to launch commercial A380 services to the continent.”
Powered by Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engines, Emirates’ A380s can fly up to 12,000 kilometres on a full passenger load, and offer better fuel economy per passenger kilometre than most hybrid passenger cars.
On 1 and 3 August, Emirates will operate its brand-new A380 aircraft between Dubai and New York JFK on a commercial basis. These will be additional flights to its existing twice-a-day non-stop service. Subsequently, Emirates will deploy the A380 between Dubai and New York, on one of its scheduled twice-daily flights.
Emirates expects delivery of five A380s in its current financial year, all featuring its ultra long-haul configuration of 489 seats: 14 in First Class, 76 in Business and 399 in Economy; with 13 tonnes of bellyhold capacity for cargo. After New York, these aircraft are slated to operate on Emirates’ routes from Dubai to London Heathrow, and Sydney-Auckland.
The largest customer for the A380 superjumbo, Emirates has announced it will receive the first of its 58 A380 aircraft on order on 28 July. The 58 A380s are worth US$ 18.8 billion at current list prices.
Emirates currently flies a fleet of 116 all wide-bodied aircraft to 99 cities in more than 60 countries. Emirates’ current order book of 180 aircraft (excluding options), worth approximately US$58 billion, is possibly the largest-ever in commercial aviation history.
Emirates flies five times weekly from Dubai to Malta via Larnaca in Cyprus, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on the new Boeing 777-300. As from 1 December, 2008, Emirates will be operating flights to Malta on a daily basis.