With Australiaโs borders set to re-open to international travelers from November, Emirates is welcoming the move by enhancing its operations to the country to meet pent up demand for travel into and out of Australia. With vaccination rates in New South Wales having reached their target, and Victoria being not far behind, the two states will allow vaccinated travelers to return to Australia without quarantine.
In response to the easing of travel restrictions, from November 2, 2021 Emirates is stepping up the frequency on flights EK414/415 between Dubai and Sydney to daily operated by a Boeing 777-300ER. Flights to Melbourne will operate as a four-weekly service as EK408/409, with the potential to increase in line with demand.
In another positive sign that the recovery is well underway for Australia, capacity on flights to Sydney and Melbourne will return to 100%, allowing 354 passengers across all cabins to travel on its flights. Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members will be able to enjoy unrestricted travel once again to and from the two points for the first time since the pandemic began, whether traveling abroad to global destinations for leisure or finally traveling home to visit family or friends, as long as they are vaccinated against COVID-19 with a TGA-approved vaccine.
From December 1, 2021 Emiratesโ flagship A380 aircraft, will also return to the Australian skies once again, serving the Dubai-Sydney route, on a daily basis. The much-loved aircraft will offer 516 seats in a three-class configuration, with 426 seats in Economy Class, in addition to its premium cabins, with 76 and 14 seats in Business Class and First Class, respectively.
Emirates and flydubai mark four years of strategic partnership. The Dubai-based airlines joined hands in 2017 and since then, more than 8.3 million passengers have enjoyed seamless connectivity across the joint network. Emirates Skywards โ the loyalty program for Emirates and flydubai โ continues to grow its global membership base, offering more than 27 million members exclusive rewards and benefits.
Emirates, the Premier Partner and Official Airline of Expo 2020 Dubai, has revealed a head-turning A380 livery dedicated to further carrying the global eventโs messages worldwide.
The special livery is painted on the pictured A6-EEU.
A bold departure from the airlineโs traditional white and gold paint scheme, this bright blue aircraft livery features large-scale graphics in vivid green, orange, pink, purple and red, which run across the fuselageย and all the way up to the tail and fin interlaced with the distinct ring-shaped Expo 2020 Dubai logo. Special โDubai Expoโ and โBe Part of the Magicโ messages run across both sides of the A380 fuselage. The engine cowls also carry the Expo 2020 Dubai messages and dates of the event.
In addition, the brave Burj Khalifa stuntwoman who appeared in the recentย viral Emirates ad, carries an invitation to visit the event on both sides of the aircraft, holding a message board that says: โSee you thereโ and โDubai Expo Oct-Mar 2022โ.
The iconic Emirates red belly branding, which can be only seen when the aircraft is flying overhead, has been replaced by the opportunity themed orange โDubai Expoโ branding, further increasing the eventโs visibility and awareness as it flies to the airlineโs A380 network over the course of the next 6 months.
The new A380 livery was designed, painted, produced and installed in-house by the teams at Emirates. The livery was not just a decal, but a complete paint project, and is by far the largest one the airline has ever embarked on. A great deal of planning and ingenuity was involved to ensure the distinct livery design was brought to life and flawlessly executed.
The paint on A6-EEU, the aircraft chosen for the livery, was completely stripped. After that, eleven colors were applied on the aircraft in a careful, methodically sequenced manner. A โwild spray methodโ, electrostatic spray guns and conventional cup guns were used to put on the different colors, using over 2,500 sqm of tracing and masking material. All of the stencils and tracing guides were produced in-house by the airlineโs UV printer and graphics workshop, and took numerous hours to fabricate and complete. The Emirates Engineering Aircraft Appearance Centre teams skillfully worked through the challenges of fine-tuning the outlines and masking to convert the designs onto a three dimensional aircraft, in addition to managing the contrasting colors and intricate background shades in this unique livery.
Decals were then applied on the engine cowls and, as well as the image of the Emirates Cabin crew holding the message boards adjacent to the aircraftโs exits.
The process of painting the livery design and applying the decals tookย 16 days and 4,379 man-hours to complete.
Emirates has a long tradition of showcasing special liveries on its Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 fleet, and in the last five years alone, close to 50 unique designs and 100 liveries have been brought to life by the team at the airline. Special liveries have helped pay a special tribute and carry the legacy of the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan; bring sports fans closer to their favorite clubs, players and global tournaments; spread the UAEโs message of tolerance and multi-culturalism; raise awareness of the illegal wildlife trade, and much more. The innovative work done on the liveries has kept travelers, plane-spotters and the general public looking to the skies for inspiration.
The new Expo 2020 Dubai livery will appear on three Emirates A380 aircraft to help visually tell the story and reaffirm the themes of one of the largest global events to take place since the onset of the pandemic. The distinctive blue Expo aircraft will join the 40 other special liveries dedicated to Expo 2020 Dubai, which have collectively flown to over 130 destinations across the Emirates network since 2018.
The new livery will wow travelers and drive the Expo 2020 Dubai message when it heads to Los Angeles on 29 September.
Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and will run from October 2021 to March 2022. Its six-month program is packed with experiences to suit all ages and interests, including a rich line-up of themed weeks, entertainment, and edutainment. Art and culture fans as well as food and technology enthusiasts can explore exhibits, workshops, performances, live shows and more. Visitors can also drop by their national pavilion for a taste of home or experience the 190 other country pavilions. Emirates will be showcasing its own pavilion focused on the future of commercial aviation.
In other news, the company will restore the Dubai – London Gatwick route on December 10.
Emirates is the first airline to implement the International Air Transport Association’sย IATA Travel Pass solution on six continents as it rolls out this digital health pass to customers at all its destinations.
Following successful trials in April on select routes from its Dubai hub, Emirates gradually expanded the IATA Travel Pass pilot to customers on 12 routes in June and the airline has now signed a contract with IATA to implement the solution across its global network.
Currently available to Emirates customers traveling from 50 cities, the roll-out across all 120+ Emirates destinations is expected to be completed by October.
Key features of the IATA Travel Pass
Repository of the latest travel requirements:ย it enables passengers to find accurate information on travel, testing, and vaccine requirements for their journey
Registry of testing centres:ย it enables passengers to access certified COVID-19 testing centres at their departure location which meet the requirements of their destination.
Digital documentation:ย the app allows passengers to manage their travel documentation digitally. From receiving test results and vaccination certificates directly from authorised labs and test centres, to conveniently and securely sharing these documents with authorities and airlines to facilitate travel.
Travelers today can access over 1,500 COVID-19 test labs via the IATA Travel Pass app, and this number continues to grow. EU and UK citizens can register their vaccine certificate on the app, and work is underway to enable a broader range of verified digital travel documents to linked to, or uploaded to the app. Travelers can download the app and register themselves by creating their digital identify using their passport.
Future enhancements include enabling customers to share their digital documents for travel before they reach the airport, such as COVID vaccination certificates and test results, and these will be securely and automatically reflected in Emiratesโ check in systems to facilitate a smooth and hassle-free airport experience.
To support its planned ramp-up operations, Emirates has begun a worldwide campaign to recruit 3,000 cabin crew and 500 airport services employees to join its Dubai hub over the next six months.
These roles are Dubai-based positions and frontline customer-facing roles, and both jobs offer exciting opportunities for friendly, energetic, and service-oriented people to meet and interact with the world as Emiratesโ brand ambassadors. Candidates interested in joining Emirates asย cabin crewย or as anย airport services agentย can find out more about the job requirements and submit their application onย www.emiratesgroupcareers.com.
Emirates has gradually restored its network operations in line with the easing of travel restrictions around the world, and over the past months, it has been recalling pilots, cabin crew and other operational employees who were stood down when the pandemic forced a drastic reduction in flights last year.
The airline currently flies to over 120 cities, representing 90% of its pre-pandemic network, and it plans to restore 70% of its capacity by the end of the year, including bringing back more of its iconic A380 aircraft into active service.
One of the most dynamic global cities, Dubai has also led the world in its response to the pandemic thanks to its strong leadership and public-private sector cooperation. The rapid vaccination roll-out in the United Arab Emirates, and clear pandemic protocols have enabled Dubai to quickly and safely re-open to international tourism and business activities since July 2020.
Top Copyright Photo: Emirates Airline Boeing 777-31H ER A6-EGB (msn 38985) (Expo 2020 Dubai UAE) MUC (Gunter Mayer). Image: 955096.
Emirates, the worldโs largest international airline, announced today that it will introduce the first scheduled commercial Airbus A380 service to Istanbul, Turkey from October 1, 2021.
Emirates will operate the A380 on its daily EK123/124 service. Flight EK123 will depart Dubai at 10:45 and arrive in Istanbul at 14:25. The return flight EK124 will depart Istanbul at 16:25 and arrive in Dubai at 21:50. All times are local.
Deploying its three-class A380, Emirates will offer a total of 517 seats, with 14 private suites in First Class, 76 mini pods with lie-flat seats in Business Class and 427 spacious seats in Economy Class, increasing capacity per flight by more than 150 passengers compared to the current Boeing 777-300ER.
Emirates is the worldโs largest operator of A380s, with 118 currently in its fleet.
As international borders reopen and travel restrictions ease, Emirates has gradually resumed passenger services and will be operating 17 weekly passenger flights from Dubai to Istanbul, including two daily flights and at three time channels โ morning, afternoon and evening. The A380 will operate in the morning and will bring the total weekly capacity on the route to 7,000 seats in each direction.
Top Copyright Photo: Emirates Airline Airbus A380-842 A6-EVG (msn 256) (50 Years UAE) IAD (Brian McDonough). Image: 955000.
Emirates has announced that it will be restarting services to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from September 11 and St Petersburg from October 8, 2021. The resumption of these services build on Emiratesโ growing global footprint, the continued lifting of entry restrictions as well as demand recovery across the airlineโs network.
Dubai continues to top the must-see destination list for Russian holiday makers, providing a great combination of warm weather, world-class hotels for every budget, shopping and an unparalleled set of new attractions that encourage repeat visits.
From October 8, flights between Dubai and St Petersburg will operate four times a week, and the airline will increase its services to daily flights from October 21. All flights will operate on the Boeing 777-300ER in a three class configuration. Emirates flight EK 173 and 174 will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while EK 175 and 176 will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturday and Sundays.
EK 173 departs Dubai at 0910hrs, arriving at St Petersburg Pulkovo Airport at 1415hrs. EK 174 leaves St Petersburg at 1645hrs, arriving back in Dubai at 2345hrs local time. EK 175 takes off from Dubai at 1545hrs, arriving in St Petersburg at 2050hrs and EK176 leaves Pulkovo Airport at 2315hrs, landing in Dubai at 0615hrs the next day.
From Saturday, September 11, Emirates will begin operating 24 weekly flights to Saudi Arabia, including daily flights to the capital Riyadh, daily A380 flights to Jeddah, daily flights to Dammam and three weekly flights to Medina. Flights to Riyadh will increase to double daily from 16 September, and plans are underway to boost frequencies across the other gateways by the end of September.
To Riyadh, Emirates will operate EK 2817 daily, departing Dubai at 1640hrs, landing inย King Khalid International Airportย at 1740hrs local time. EK 2818 leaves Riyadh at 2010hrs, arriving back in Dubai at 2320hrs.
To Jeddah, Emirates will operate EK 2803 daily, departing Dubai at 1600hrs, landing inย King Abdulaziz International Airportย at 1800hrs local time. EK 2804 leaves Jeddah at 2000hrs, arriving back in Dubai at 0100hrs the next day.
To Dammam, Emirates will operate EK 2821 daily, leaving Dubai at 2050hrs, arriving at King Fahd International Airport at 2120hrs. EK 2822 leaves Dammam at 2245hrs, arriving back in Dubai at 0100hrs the next day.
To Medina, Emirates will operate EK 2809 three times weekly. The flight departs from Dubai at 1630hrs, arriving atย Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport at 1800hrs. EK 2810 leaves Medina at 2000hrs, arriving back in Dubai at 2340hrs.
Emirates will receive three more A380 aircraft from Airbus this year with its last unit on order scheduled to join its fleet in November, bringing forward the original delivery timeline from June 2022.
All three new A380s to be delivered will be fitted out with Emiratesโ much lauded Premium Economy cabin as well as its latest A380 cabin interiors and signature features including private suites and Shower Spas in First Class, the popular Onboard Lounge, fully flat seats in Business Class, and the industryโs largest seatback screens for customers in all cabins to enjoy the airlineโs extensive selection of entertainment content onย ice.
These deliveries will bring Emiratesโ total fleet of A380s to 118 units in November, including six aircraft equipped with Premium Economy seats in a 4-class configuration.
Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: โWeโve come to an agreement with Airbus to bring forward the delivery of our remaining A380 orders and have secured financing for these units. These new aircraft will also add more highly sought-after Premium Economy seats into our inventory, as we prepare to fully launch this cabin product in the coming months.โ
He added: โEmirates will continue to be the largest operator of this spacious and modern aircraft for the next two decades, and weโre committed to ensuring that the Emirates A380 experience remains a customer favorite with ongoing investments to enhance our product and services.โ
As travel restrictions ease with the global roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, come October, Emirates will have reinstated its A380 operations on over a dozen popular routes between Dubai and: Amman, Cairo, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mauritius, Moscow, Munich, New York JFK, Paris, Toronto, Vienna, Washington DC, and Zurich.
Emiratesโ 4-class A380s are currently operating on its London Heathrow and Paris Charles De Gaulle routes. The comfortable and luxurious cream leather-covered Emirates Premium Economy seats with generous leg room, are currentlyย offered as spot upgrades for valued customers on a discretionary basis. All other signature Emirates A380 First, Business and Economy cabins are available for reservation on emirates.com or via travel agents.
Emirates is scaling up services with additional route resumptions and more flights across its European network, responding to the easing of international entry protocols and an upsurge in passenger demand. With clear signals that passenger confidence for international travel is returning, the airline is advancing its plans to increase services and capacity to make it easier for its customers to connect to and from its extensive European network via Dubai.
Further expansion in UK with Newcastle service restart
In the UK, Emirates continues to boost its operations and will reinstate flights to Newcastle Airport (NCL) from October 15, 2021, offering four weekly flights to the northeast of England, all operated by the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a two class configuration. The first flight, EK033, will depart Dubai International (DXB) at 1430hrs and arrive in Newcastle (NCL) at 1910hrs, while flight EK034 will depart Newcastle at 2110hrs and arrive in Dubai the following day at 0725hrs.
By the end of October, the airline will offer 77 weekly flights to the UK as it gradually recovers operations in one of its most important global markets. UK weekly operations include a six times daily London Heathrow operation with five A380 services; double daily A380 flights to Manchester, 10 weekly services to Birmingham, daily services to Glasgow and four weekly services to Newcastle. Earlier this month, UAE moved onto the UKโs โamberโ list for travel, and travelers arriving in the UK from Dubai no longer need to quarantine in a government-approved hotel.
Increased frequencies to multiple European cities
Responding to a rise in customer demand, Emirates has also brought forward its plans to introduce extra flights and capacity to over 10 European cities, including Birmingham, Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Hamburg, London, Lisbon, Madrid, Munich, Rome and Zurich. Many of these cities will be served with daily flights or more.
In Germany, Emirates will make it easier for business and leisure customers to connect to its popular gateways by expanding frequencies to daily flights in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich, with a total of 50 flights a week by October 31, 2021. Flights between Dusseldorf and Dubai, as well as between Hamburg and Dubai, will also be upgraded to the Emirates A380 to offer more capacity between both cities.
Beyond Europe
Emirates has also announced route restarts in other parts of its global network, including the resumption of flights between Male and Colombo from 1 September, which will further support Maldivesโ tourism industry, and Sri Lanka as it opens up for tourism. By mid-October, Emirates will also increase its service between Male and Dubai to four daily flights. Other routes that will see increased frequencies include Muscat with four weekly flights from August 28 and Sao Paulo, which will have daily flights from October 5.
As international borders reopen and travel restrictions ease, Emirates continues to expand its network safely and sustainably. The airline has resumed passenger services to over 120 destinations and has recovered close to 90% of its pre-pandemic network. Emirates customers can enjoy convenient and seamless connections to the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific via Dubai.
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