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Emirates Airline received delivery of its second Airbus A380 superjumbo today, bringing its all wide-bodied aircraft fleet to 122, inclusive of freighters.
With Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Executive Vice President Engineering and Operations leading a group of Emirates engineers and executives onboard the delivery flight, the double-decked aircraft arrived in Dubai at 15:30hours local time, and will undergo standard checks and maintenance before entering commercial service on 27th October.
Designed to transport passengers on long-range journeys in unmatched comfort, Emirates’ second A380 will join its sibling, the airline’s first A380 delivered in July, on the Dubai-New York JFK non-stop service (EK201/202). This increases Emirates’ A380 service on the route to once-a-day from Sunday. Emirates operates two flights a day to New York JFK, the second daily service using a Boeing 777-300ER.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “Emirates has an environmental goal to operate the world’s most eco-efficient fleet and our second A380’s arrival will further reduce the airline’s average fuel use per passenger.
“By 2013, the arrival of at least 100 new aircraft and the retirement of some older aircraft will see a further improvement in Emirates’ overall fleet efficiency.”
Emirates’ A380s offer a fuel burn of three litres per 100 passenger kilometres, better than the acclaimed Toyota Prius hybrid cars (which uses 4.4 litres per 100 vehicle kms).
The airline currently operates one of the youngest, most technologically-advanced and efficient fleets in the sky, with an average fleet age of under 65 months, half the industry average of 11 years. It is receiving an average of one new A380 or Boeing 777 a month, as part of its order of over 170 new aircraft from Boeing and Airbus. Emirates has another 56 A380 aircraft on firm order, of which two more will be delivered before the end of 2008.
Offering 14 private suites in First Class, 76 lie-flat seats with in-built massage function in Business, and 399 seats in Economy, Emirates has invested heavily in onboard features to ensure that its A380s are the finest, most comfortable in the sky. This includes the First Class Shower Spa, two fully equipped bathrooms in its First Class cabins with shower facilities, a spacious Onboard Lounge, and its award-winning ice inflight entertainment system that offers over 1,000 channels of movies, music and games on-demand in all classes.
Passengers will also notice a difference in the A380 Economy Class cabin, most notably the straight walls which give the impression of increased spaciousness. This feature, combined with the advanced mood lighting system and noticeably quieter cabin, works to combat the effects of jetlag.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
