Emirates (Dubai) has announced it will bring its Airbus A380 to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), launching the first scheduled A380 service at the airport.

On October 1, 2014, the world’s largest passenger aircraft will touch down at DFW with a daily service between Dallas/Fort Worth, the world’s fourth busiest airport, and the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Dallas/Fort Worth will become the 28th international destination to which Emirates operates the aircraft, joining New York (JFK) and Los Angeles which are already served by the A380.

Emirates started flying to Dallas/Fort Worth in 2012 with a Boeing 777-200 LR, the first passenger carrier to fly nonstop to the Middle East from DFW. The introduction of the 489-seat A380, powered by U.S.-made GE GP7200 engines, is a direct response to demand with over 370,000 Emirates’ passengers travelling between Dallas and Dubai to date.

DFW Airport is making its final preparations for the arrival of the Emirates A380 with the construction of a second level jet bridge in Terminal D and modifications to the airfield, ramps and taxiways. Terminal D opened in 2005 with A380 capabilities already built into its design, so the final additions to make DFW ready for the A380 are relatively minor.

Emirates’ A380 is a wide-bodied double decker aircraft with a capacity of 489 passengers including 14 First Class Private Suites, 76 lie-flat beds in Business Class and 399 spacious seats in Economy Class.

Powered by GP7200 engines which burn up to twenty percent less fuel per seat than its nearest competitor, Emirates’ A380s have lower carbon dioxide emissions and thirty percent better fuel efficiency than the ICAO global fleet average. This is the most significant advancement in reducing fuel consumption and emissions in four decades. Emirates also stands apart from the rest as the average age of the fleet is less than half that of many European airlines. Emirates is the largest operator of the A380 and continues to work closely with Airbus to further reduce weight of future A380s by using a range of lightweight materials that account for twenty five percent of its structure.

The Emirates A380 service will operate daily as EK 222, departing Dallas/Fort Worth at 12:35 and arriving in Dubai at 12:20 the following day. EK 221 departs Dubai at 02:45 and arrives at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport at 09:45 the same day.

Copyright Photo: Airbus A380-861 A6-EEO (msn 136) taxies from the gate at Los Angeles International Airport.

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