The Emirates A380 is back in the sky today for the first time since the Dubai airline grounded its fleet of superjumbos in March.
Flight EK001 departed Dubai International Airport just before 8am this morning headed for London Heathrow.
The world's largest passenger plane is set to land in the UK just after midday, local time.
It's the first A380 commercial passenger service that Emirates has operated since March 25, when flight EK262 landed in Dubai from Sao Paulo, Brazil the day after UAE authorities closed the country's airspace.
But it's not the only superjumbo in the sky today: Emirates Flight EK073, also an A380, has departed Dubai for Paris's Charles De Gaulle airport. The flight is set to land in France around 2pm local time and will receive a special welcome as it becomes the first and only scheduled A380 flight to operate at this major European airport since the pandemic began.
On the same day, Emirates announced it will introduce the A380 on its daily Amsterdam service from Saturday, August 1, and add a second superjumbo on the London Heathrow route.
The A380 is the same length as two blue whales and has the capacity to carry up to 615 passengers in a two-class configuration. It's unlikely either of the Emirates' jets flying today will be fully booked.
Numbers of passenger flights and international travellers during the coronavirus pandemic has been spectacularly low, because of demand and logistics, as well as border closures.
Emirates may continue to add more routes if travel demand increases. The airline has 115 A380 superjumbos, most of which have been on the ground since March.
Known for its luxury services, the Emirates A380 may be back in the sky, but is missing a few of its trademark premium offerings.
Travellers in Business and First class can no longer take an in-flight shower or enjoy a beverage at the upper deck lounge as both services have been halted for safety concerns during the pandemic.
The airline has also introduced several new measures designed to keep travellers safe. These include complimentary hygiene kits for passengers, reduced interaction with Emirates crew and plexi-glass screens at check-in counters.
Emirates is rebuilding its network of destinations and is currently flying to more than 50 destinations across six continents.
Emirates is resuming passenger services to seven other cities today - Athens, Barcelona, Geneva, Glasgow, Larnaca, Munich, and Rome. It's a busy week for the Dubai airline, which will also resume flight to the Maldives and Washington DC on Thursday, July 16, and to Brussels on Friday, July 17.
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
