For those who can choose to fly south for the winter, Emirates is announcing that it will restore its non-stop A380 services to and from Auckland and Kuala Lumpur, starting from 1 December.
Emirates Airbus A380 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport – Image, Economy Class and Beyond.
The airline currently operates to both cities with a Boeing 777-300ER service operating as a one-stop service, which makes a stop in Kuala Lumpur before continuing on to Auckland.
The start of A380 flights will see both served with direct services to and from Dubai, rather than with a stopover. Emirates move will offer greater travellers greater flexibility, as well as seat availability.
The new services will also provide more opportunities to travel across the Emirates network with reduced transit times after the delinking of services, and faster connections to and from Europe, the Middle East, South Asia as well as Africa.
In a boastful move, the airline notes that the non-stop services between Dubai and Auckland will also reclaim its title as the longest route on the Emirates network, clocking in 14,200 km, in addition to being one of the world’s longest non-stop scheduled commercial flights.
Planned operations are:
Auckland
EK448 DEPART DXB 10:05 ARRIVE AKL 11:05+1 EK449 DEPART DXB 21:15 ARRIVE DXB 05:25+1 Commences 1st December Booked Equipment: Emirates Airbus A380
Kuala Lumpur
EK346 DEPART DXB 03:30 ARRIVE KUL 14:35 EK343 DEPART KUL 01:45 ARRIVE DXB 05:05 Commences 1st December Booked Equipment: Emirates Airbus A380
A380 continues to soar
For airlines who have stuck with the Airbus A380, it is now paying off again (whilst the fuel prices are acceptable). Emirates’ decision to stick with the type as well as refitting them is allowing the airline to scale up its operations – with the airline currently serving 32 destinations on its network with the type, with further destinations o be announced in the coming weeks and months.
For those who love the A380’s passenger experience, it will be a welcome return to the type to Auckland and Kuala Lumpur.
Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond. Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, featuring in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.
Follow me on Twitter at @EconomyBeyond for the latest updates! You can follow me on Instagram too!
Also, remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.