Emirates launches A380 Flights to Sydney and Auckland

Sydney and Auckland have become the third and fourth destinations to join Emirates’ rapidly-expanding Airbus A380 network.

Emirates will operate its A380, dubbed ‘a premium hotel in the sky’, from Dubai to Sydney and across the Tasman to Auckland every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The service will progress to a daily, effective 1st May 2009.

EK412 is the test flight for a longer-term green flight initiative involving the Air Navigation Service Providers of Australia, the UAE, Oman, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives working with Emirates and other airlines to pioneer best environmental practice over the world's third-largest oceanic region. The programme will officially commence in the first half of 2009.

Despite a challenging global economic environment, visitors from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) visiting Australia are expected to grow by 8% this year and by 15 % in 2010, according to a forecast by the Tourism Australia Aviation and Economics Team.

In its last annual study, Tourism New South Wales recorded close to 30,000 overnight visitors from the region, representing 43.3% of its total visitors and a 32.9% increase from the previous year’s study.

In a move aimed at facilitating travel, New Zealand signed a visa-waiver agreement with the six member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Trade benefits will also accrue as the Middle East is a valuable market for New Zealand products including wool, dairy products, meat, manufactured goods and services. At the same time the region is an important source for New Zealand’s crude oil, polymers and fertilisers.

The new service will also benefit Australians and New Zealanders travelling to their preferred cities in Europe and the Middle East, and will facilitate a seamless A380 experience from Auckland/Sydney to Dubai and onwards to London Heathrow – an important route for travellers from both countries.

To maximise its environmental efficiency, EK 412 adopted the following measures:

- Priority departure from Dubai and an unrestricted climb from UAE Air Traffic Control to ensure optimal fuel burn.

- Flexible, ultra-efficient routings over countries and their air space such as Oman, the Maldives and India.

- Dynamic re-routing to allow for weather changes, particularly high-altitude winds, to save journey time and emissions.

- Arranged with AirServices Australia to allow a continuous descent arrival to ensure fuel is saved and noise is minimised.

- Arranged with Airways Corporation of New Zealand for the continuation of the green initiatives on EK412 between Sydney and Auckland.

- Emirates and Airways New Zealand used the concept of User Preferred Routes to further reduce fuel and emissions over the Tasman.

Emirates’ A380 has received glowing reviews from passengers and the travel trade with its onboard Shower Spas and other impressive facilities.

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