Emirates Airlines Takes Delivery Of Sixth Airbus A380

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Emirates Airlines Takes Delivery Of Sixth Airbus A380 By Bill Goldston

		December 14, 2009 - United Arab Emirates (UAE), Emirates Airlines takes delivery of its sixth Airbus A380 aircraft. The colossal aircraft landed in Dubai late last night after travelling from the Jurgen Thomas Delivery Centre in Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft is currently being fitted with the airline’s service hallmarks at Emirates’ world class engineering facility, in preparation for entry into service. Taking delivery of this mammoth plane Adel Al Redha, Emirates' Executive Vice President Engineering and Operations said: “The delivery of our sixth A380 aircraft is testament to Emirates’ steadfast resilience amidst the global economic crisis. The A380 offers us the ability to support our operational needs and meet passenger demand, an important factor with international load levels looking positive over the next few months.”

“We remain resolute in our expansion plans in terms of both fleet and destinations. In the last four weeks alone Emirates has announced plans to start services to Tokyo and Amsterdam in 2010 and has also taken delivery of three new aircraft including two Boeing 777-300ER, in addition to today’s Airbus A380.” Serving six far reaching destinations including; Sydney, Auckland, Bangkok, Toronto, Heathrow and from tomorrow Seoul, Emirates’ A380 aircraft provide a greener option for long haul travel through substantial reductions in noise, emissions and fuel burn. From 29th December Emirates will also commence an A380 service to Paris, with the carrier’s seventh A380 aircraft due for delivery later this month. Designed to provide customers with the greatest travel comforts on long-range journeys, the Emirates’ A380 – with 14 First Class Private Suites, 76 Business Class and 399 Economy seats – represents the latest innovation and technology from a company recognized internationally for its in-flight amenities and services. Unique to the Emirates aircraft are its Shower Spas – two fully-equipped bathrooms in the First Class cabins with shower facilities. Emirates A380’s ground-breaking in-flight product also features an Onboard Lounge for First and Business Class passengers which includes a bar with a wide range of beverages and canapés as well as an exclusive space to socialize or simply relax. Spread over two levels, the whole of the A380 upper deck is dedicated to premium passengers. Towards the front, First Class passengers can relax in one of 14 flat-bed, massage-equipped Private Suites. These incorporate remote-controlled doors, a work desk, an electrically controlled mini-bar and the most advanced in-flight entertainment system available to travelers. The main deck is dedicated to Economy class passengers and is fitted with comfortable seating as well as seat back individual 12 inch LCD screens, offering passengers a wide range of in-flight entertainment. The arrival of sixth Airbus A380 brings Emirates’ all-wide bodied passenger fleet to 142 aircraft. Emirates operates services to 101 cities spanning 62 countries on six continents.

During the mid-1980s, Gulf Air began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result Emirates was conceived in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's royal family, whose Dubai Royal Air Wing provided two of the airline's first aircraft, used Boeing 727-200/Advs. It was required to operate independent of government subsidies, apart from $10 million in start-up capital. It also leased a new Boeing 737-300 from Pakistan International Airlines which was returned in 1987. The first flight of the airline was, Dubai-Karachi on 25 October 1985. The airline leased an Airbus 300B4-200, from Pakistan International Airlines. Bombay and Delhi were the next destinations for the airline.

Emirates became profitable within its first nine months. During its first year, it carried about 260,000 passengers and 10,000 tons of freight. By 1986, the airline was adding new destinations such as Colombo, Dhaka, Amman, and Cairo to its route network. Emirates launched daily nonstop service to London Gatwick on 6 July 1987 with two new Airbus A310s. It also started flights to Singapore. The airline in 1987 added Frankfurt via Istanbul, and Male (Maldive Islands).

Emirates lacked a regional network, as its main competitor Gulf Air also dominated traffic in the region. This growth came as the region was experiencing a downturn, with the Gulf War and the laying off expatriate workers as factors. In its second year, competitors had accused Emirates of starting a price war, something the airline's competitors still accuse Emirates of doing. By the end of 1987, Emirates was serving 11 destinations.

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