EMIRATES’ A380 CRUISES INTO FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
Emirates has carried more than 18 million passengers on its double-decker A380 as the airline marks the fifth anniversary of the aircraft joining its fleet. It was Aug. 1, 2008 when Emirates operated its first scheduled Airbus A380 flight to New York. Toronto followed shortly after, launching the service in June 2009. Now, the airline flies to 21 A380 destinations including London Heathrow, Rome, Moscow, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Auckland. More than 7,000 cabin crew support a world-renowned fleet of 35 A380s, along with nearly 670 flight deck crew. Over the five years of operation, more than 35 million meals have been served during 20,000 trips, spanning 265 million kilometres. In all, 37 airports have been visited, either for scheduled flights, one off special appearances or because of diversions. “Five swift years have gone by since Emirates changed the face of air travel with this remarkable aircraft,”said Tim Clark, president, Emirates Airline. “Its popularity is now firmly rooted across our six continent network, while our customers continue to enthuse about our onboard product; the overall quietness of this huge aircraft, a unique sense of spaciousness in Economy Class, mini-pod lie-flat seats in Business Class and the sanctuary of Private Suites in First Class with access to two Onboard Shower Spas.”The main talking point amongst those who have flown on the upper deck of the A380 is the Onboard Lounge, where Business Class and First Class travellers can exchange tales and talk business over a drink at 40,000 feet. All Emirates’ A380s are fitted with WiFi, allowing full connectivity with the ground. The A380’s longest non-stop route on the Emirates’ network is Dubai to New York, covering 11,023 km during a flight of 13 hours and 26 minutes. The shortest A380 route is between Hong Kong and Bangkok — a distance of 1,900 km with a flying time of two hours 20 minutes. In the coming months, the A380 route network will be extended to Brisbane (Oct. 1), Los Angeles (Dec. 2), Mauritius (Dec. 16) and Zurich from Jan. 1, 2014.
