Emirates' first Airbus A380 flight to the Egyptian capital Cairo landed in style on Wednesday, October 2.
The A380 debut was given a ceremonial water-cannon salute as it touched down at Cairo International Airport.
Led by Egyptian captain Hesham Essawy and UAE national first officer Abdullah Alyammahi, the flight showed the airport is ready to receive the A380 on a regular basis as per the Dubai airline's plans.
"We hope to play a part in Egypt's success by supporting trade and tourism, and bringing the country closer to the world," said Adel Al Redha, Emirates' chief operating officer.
"We would like to thank the Egyptian government, the Ministry of Transport and the government authorities who have been invaluable in making Emirates' first A380 service a tremendous success. We look forward to operating the A380 on a scheduled basis to and from Cairo."
The Dubai carrier has been flying to Cairo since April 1986 with three flights per week.
Earlier this year the airline said it was adding four additional flights a week starting from Monday, October 28, taking weekly flights to a total of 25.
A relatively short flight compared to many of Emirates' other A380 routes, it isn't the shortest. That belongs to Dubai to Muscat in Oman, while the airline also flies the superjumbo to Amman in Jordan.
It was confirmed earlier this year that Airbus will halt production of the A380 in 2021.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates, said at the time that the A380 would "remain a pillar" of its fleet until the 2030s.
The airline currently has 112 A380s in service and 11 pending delivery.
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Inside the upgraded Qantas A380 cabins
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Qantas's A380 superjumbos will return to service with upgraded interiors. Photos: Qantas -
The new onboard lounge. -
The new onboard lounge, which can seat 10. -
The lounge seats encourage interaction. -
The entrance to the onboard lounge. -
The new business class seats. -
A first class suite. -
Economy has been given a facelift. -
Premium economy seats. -
Premium economy now has 60 seats, up from 35. -
First class has new contoured cushioning. -
The rear view of premium economy. -
Business class on the upgraded A380. -
The onboard lounge. -
Business class is now in a 1:2:1 formation.
