Emirates to add second Sydney A380 flight
Emirates will add a second Airbus A380 service to Sydney this summer.
From 1 June 2013, the airline will operate its double-decker aircraft on the early morning flight to Sydney, in place of the existing Boeing 777-300ER. The move will add 1,890 seats per week to the route.
“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 of commercial operations for the Far East & Australasia.
“Australia represents an important market for Emirates and ranks in the top three countries on Emirates’ global network. The A380 is a core element of Australian activity, delivering considerable economic benefits through inbound seats and travel connections.
“Adding larger capacity aircraft is central to our strategy of meeting growing passenger demand, while supporting trade between our two countries. A second A380 for Sydney also complements our proposed plans for the partnership with Qantas,” he added.
Pending final regulatory approval, Qantas and Emirates will join forces next month, jointly offering 98 weekly services between Australia and Dubai, including five daily A380 flights from 1 June 2013.
The Emirates A380 comes fitted with 489 seats in a three-class configuration, with 14 seats in first class, 76 in business class and 399 in economy.
The second daily A380 flight to Sydney marks the latest phase of Emirates’ Australian expansion. It recently added daily A380 flights to Melbourne and increased the frequency of its Adelaide service to daily. And just this month, Emirates increased its Dubai-Perth route to three flights per day.