EMIRATES has added Rome to its A380 network, bringing an additional 34 per cent capacity on the Dubai-Rome route or an extra 250 seats each day.
“With the A380 forming part of the double daily service to Rome, twice daily flights to Milan and a daily offering into Venice, Italy is becoming an increasingly active market,” said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ senior vice president, commercial operations, Europe & Russian Federation.
The airline started flights to Italy in 1992 and the current 35 weekly frequencies contribute to a vibrant $4.6 billion trade relationship between Italy and the UAE, assisted by Emirates SkyCargo ferrying commodities in and out of Italy through Dubai and beyond.
The latest A380 deployment comes as Emirates’ double decker fleet rises to 18 with a further 72 to be delivered. The overall fleet is now 163-strong with 242 aircraft on order worth over $84 billion.
Emirates is also by far London Heathrow’s largest A380 operator in 2012 with four of the double-decker aircraft to serve the airport daily. Following their announcement of a third daily A380 flight from January 24, 2012, Emirates will launch a fourth A380 service from March 25, 2012. The deployment means four of Emirates’ five daily Heathrow flights will be served by the A380 – twice as many as any other carrier.
Since being brought into service in August 2008, Emirates’ A380s have carried more than seven million passengers and flown more than 100 million kms. So far this year, Emirates’ A380s have flown around 61,000 tons of cargo.
Emirates’ environmentally friendly double-decker operates services from Dubai to London Heathrow, Manchester, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Rome, Munich, Toronto, Seoul, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Jeddah, New York, Hong Kong, Sydney, Johannesburg and Auckland. From January 1, 2012, the A380 will be deployed on the Kuala Lumpur route.
Emirates has announced plans to add additional five weekly flights to Paris by the end of 2012. Effective March 25, 2012 the current double-daily service will be supplemented by an additional four frequencies, increasing to five extra weekly flights in the winter 2012 schedule.
The additional five frequencies, taking the total number of Emirates’ weekly flights to Paris to 19, will be operated with a 777-300ER. The aircraft offers eight First Class Private Suites, 42 lie-flat beds in Business Class and a spacious cabin in Economy Class with 310 seats.