Emirates to launch First Commercial A380 Flights to America in August

Air travellers will be able to experience Emirates Airline’s state-of-the-art Airbus A380 aircraft for the first time on 1st August, when the airline launches its first A380 commercial service from Dubai to New York JFK. The 14-hour flight will also be the first-ever commercial A380 service to the Americas.

Emirates’ A380 interiors and onboard product, which have been kept under wraps thus far, will be revealed for the first time when the airline receives its first A380 from Airbus’ Hamburg facility on 28th July.

Powered by Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engines, Emirates’ A380s can fly up to 12,000 kilometres on a full passenger load, and offer better fuel economy per passenger kilometre than most hybrid passenger cars. The A380 is also quieter, both inside and outside of the cabin, which means more comfort for passengers and a smaller noise footprint.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said, “The Americas represent a key focus area in Emirates’ route development plans, and we are delighted to be the first airline to launch commercial A380 services to the continent. We are confident that Emirates’ customers travelling to and from North America will welcome the A380’s additional space and capacity, as well as our luxurious onboard amenities which will provide a very high quality travel experience previously associated only with private jets.”

On 1st and 3rd August, Emirates will operate its brand-new A380 aircraft between Dubai and New York JFK on a commercial basis. These will be additional flights to its existing twice-a-day non-stop service. Subsequently, Emirates will deploy the A380 between Dubai and New York, on one of its scheduled twice-daily flights.

Emirates’ first commercial A380 flight EK3801 will depart Dubai at 1100hrs on 1 August 2008 and arrive in JFK at 1645hrs. EK3802 will depart JFK at 2100hrs arriving on in Dubai at 1745hrs the next day.

Emirates expects delivery of five A380s in its current financial year, all featuring its ultra long-haul configuration of 489 seats: 14 in First Class, 76 in Business and 399 in Economy; with 13 tonnes of bellyhold capacity for cargo. After New York, these aircraft are slated to operate on Emirates’ routes from Dubai to London Heathrow, and Sydney-Auckland.

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