Emirates starts A380 Heathrow Dubai flights
Emirates Airline Airbus A380 superjumbo from Heathrow to Dubai[December 8th 2008]
Emirates Airline has started flying the Airbus A380 superjumbo from Heathrow airport to Dubai.
Daily flights on the A380 leave Heathrow at 1.45pm and arrive at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 at 12.30am local time the next day. From Dubai A380 flights to Heathrow depart at 7.45am and arrive at Heathrow at 11.35am local time.
The Emirates A380 double decker has 489 seats, a 40% capacity increase on the Boeing 777 aircraft used on the route. The whole of the upper deck is for Premium Class passengers. Towards the front, First Class passengers are able to relax in 14 flat-bed, massage-equipped Private Suites.
Also in the First Class cabin are two shower spas with heated flooring, leather seating and shower kits from Emirates’ premium spa brand, Timeless Spa.
“We are delighted to bring our customers state-of-the-art comforts which are unmatched anywhere else in the world. Despite today’s challenging economic environment, they have responded by booking every seat on our inbound and outbound flights," says Emirates Airline president, Tim Clark.
“Our major onboard innovations, the Onboard Shower Spas and Onboard Lounge, have already proved a big hit with customers. Around 75 per cent of our First Class passengers are using the showers in-flight, while the Onboard Lounge has proved a popular gathering spot for passengers who are able to tear themselves away from our revolutionary in-flight entertainment system,” continues Clark.
Emirates says its A380 makes less than half the noise of a 747 jumbo jet and uses 20 per cent less fuel. “Due to its environmentally-friendly performance, the Emirates A380s will make a huge contribution to Heathrow’s efforts to reduce its overall emissions,” comments Clark.
A total of 58 of the A380 superjumbos have been ordered by Emirates. The first two started flying on the Dubai to New York route in August and October. Sydney and Auckland will get A380 flights to Dubai from February next year.
Emirates now operates 98 non-stop flights a week from the UK to Dubai – including five services a day from Heathrow, three daily from Gatwick, two per day from Manchester and Birmingham, and daily services from Glasgow and Newcastle airports.
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