Dubai-based Emirates said it will restore its flagship Airbus A380 on more routes and operate the superjumbo on a new destination starting from October as air travel demand continues to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The world's biggest long-haul carrier will increase the number of cities it serves with an A380 to 27 by the end of November, adding 11 more routes to the 16 destinations currently, Emirates said in a statement on Monday.
Over the next six weeks Emirates will resume A380 services to leisure and business destinations including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Johannesburg, Madrid, Milan, Riyadh (subject to government approvals), Sao Paulo and Zurich, it said.
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Emirates flies to Amman, Jordan via the world's largest passenger jet -
Passengers travelling to Cairo with Emirates can fly on the airline's superjumbo services -
Emirates will fly its A380 to Dusseldorf, Germany from October. Photo: Dusseldorf Marketing -
The airline is flying the A380 to Frankfurt, Germany -
Emirates' superjumbo is also operating to Guangzhou in China -
Emirates will fly the superjumbo to Istanbul for the first time with daily flights starting in October -
Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, is on Emirates' A380 network. Photo: Saudi Tourism Authority -
Emirates will operate the A380 to Johannesburg from October -
The highly popular A380 aircraft operates to London Heathrow from Dubai -
The A380 flies to Los Angeles. Reuters -
Emirates has resumed A380 flights to Manchester, UK -
Take a superjumbo flight to the holiday hot spot of Mauritius, reopening to tourists in October. Getty Images -
Emirates resumed A380 flights to Moscow on September 18 last year -
Munich, Germany is on Emirates' A380 network. Reuters -
Emirates' A380 superjumbo is once more flying from Dubai to New York, with daily double-decker flights from June 1 -
The Emirates A380 is flying daily to Paris -
The double-decker flies to Canada's Toronto. Reuters -
Travellers can fly to Austria's Vienna via an Emirates superjumbo. Photo: WienTourismus -
Washington DC is part of Emirates A380 network. Getty Images
It will also use the A380 to serve Istanbul for the first time starting October 1, making it the first-ever A380 operation in Turkey.
Emirates is the world's largest operator of the A380, which it has made the backbone of its fleet, and the airline has been the most important customer of the double-decker aircraft. In response to recovering travel demand, Emirates has increased operations and plans to recruit 3,000 cabin crew and 500 airport services employees to join its Dubai hub over the next six months.
The airline is also increasing the number of passenger flights to the US and gearing up for the six-month Expo world fair event that starts in Dubai next month and is expected to draw millions of visitors.
Emirates currently flies to more than 120 cities, restoring 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic network.
The carrier said plans to restore 70 per cent of its capacity by the end of 2021 are on track with the return to service of more than 50 of its A380 aircraft. The airline’s total fleet of A380s will reach 118 by year-end, it said, as Covid-19 restrictions ease and travel demand rebounds.
Emirates introduced its first A380 aircraft featuring a new premium economy class in December 2020 and will have six aircraft with the new cabin configuration by November this year, it said.
Emirates became the first airline to implement the International Air Transport Association’s travel pass on six continents this month, following successful trials of the Covid health app in April on selected routes from its Dubai hub, as the carrier responds to recovering travel demand.
The airline has signed a contract with Iata to implement the solution across its global network and expects to complete that roll-out by October.
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Airbus A380 through the years
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Airbus will stop production of its A380 superjet by 2021 Reuters -
People look at a Emirates A380 airbus landing in Nice, south of France. AFP -
Sheikh Mohammed takes a tour of an Emirates A380 during the opening ceremony of the Dubai Airshow in 2013. AFP -
A visitor poses for a photo in front of an Emirates A380 Airbus passenger aircraft decorated with a giant portrait of UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan. AFP -
Airbus and Emirates celebrate the 100th A380 in 2018. Courtesy Emirates -
The A380 is the World biggest passenger jet . AP -
Emirates will receive 14 more A380s from Airbus before the plane maker ends production. Courtesy Emirates -
Airbus said Thursday it will stop making A380 superjumbo jets in 2021 after struggling to win clients. AP Photo -
Interior of Business Class on an Emirates A380. Courtesy: Emirates -
Interior of Business Class on Emirates A380. Courtsey: Emirates -
An air stewardess arranges bedsheets of a double bed in a suite of Singapore Airlines' new Airbus A380 during a tour of the plane at Changi Airport in Singapore. AFP -
An Airbus A380, the largest passenger jet in the world, in Dubai. The airline topped a list of attractive employers in a recent survey of Gen Y and Gen Z. EPA -
The special Emirates A380 will be in service with the Real Madrid decal for six months. Courtesy Emirates -
United for Wildlife Emirates A380 before its first flight to London. Courtesy Emirates Airline -
An Etihad Airways A380 at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Christopher Pike / The National -
A Singapore Airlines Airbus in the snow at JFK, 2018. Reuters -
Etihad Airways economy on an A380. Courtesy Etihad -
The Lobby of an Etihad Airways A380. AFP -
Aermacchi MB-339 jets from UAE's Al-Fursan display team perform with an Airbus A380 from Etihad Airways before the start of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit. AFP -
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane in Beirut, Lebanon. AP Photo -
An Emirates Airline A-380 leads UAE's "Al Fursan" aerobatic display team, during the opening day of the Dubai Air Show. AP Photo -
The tail of the Airbus A-380 at the 46th Paris Air Show. Getty Images -
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane is seen at Nice International airport in Nice, France. REUTERS -
An Airbus SAS A380 super jumbo performs a flying display on day two of the 51st International Paris Air Show in Paris, France. Bloomberg -
Line Emirates is one of the airlines included in the TSA's emergency order. Courtesy Emirates -
Tthe A380 has been Airbus’s flagship project for the past two decades. Bloomberg -
A British Airways A380. Courtesy British Airways -
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 at Beijing airport. AFP -
New wheels on the Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates -
At Dubai's Miracle Garden, more than five million flowers were grown to produce a full-size Emirates Airbus A380. Courtesy Guinness World Records
