Emirates Welcomes 25th Airbus A380 to its Rapidly Expanding Fleet

Offers First Mobile Phone Service Onboard A380 Aircraft

Karachi, October 06, 2012 – Emirates, in a perfect example of its position as one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, took delivery of its 24th and 25th Airbus A380 and its 78th Boeing 777-300 recently. The aircraft will be immediately engaged into service across Emirates network of 126 destinations in 74 countries; supporting Emirates planned expansion of its network and flights. The delivery of three wide-body aircraft in one day, a record for Emirates, required careful review and advance preparation within all operational units to ensure the availability of the required flight crew, cabin crew, engineers, airport staff in time to ensure a smooth entry into service.

At the same time, Emirates becomes the first airline of the world to offer inflight mobile phone service onboard an A380 aircraft; setting yet another record for inflight communications. In partnership with Emirates connectivity partner, OnAir, passengers aboard Emirates’ A380 aircraft will now be able to stay in touch via phone calls or through the mobile data link on their personal devices with their family, friends and colleagues while inflight. The service is in addition to the OnAir WiFi service already available on Emirates A380 aircraft.

“With its large capacity and excellent operating economics, the A380 is one of the pillars of Emirates’ future growth. Our A380s are specifically deployed on high density routes where extra capacity is needed and have been well-received by passengers,” said Adel al Redha, Emirates Executive Vice-President of Engineering and Operations. “Similarly, as the world’s largest 777 operator and the only airline in the world to operate every model in the Boeing 777 family, including the 777 Freighter, our Boeings provides reliability, performance and the operating economics Emirates requires to support our ambitious and strategic growth plans. Both the aircraft types exemplify our commitment to operating a modern fleet for the benefit of our passengers.”

The jubilee Emirates A380 aircraft was handed over to the Emirates aircraft acceptance team by Michael Pflaum, Airbus Head of A380 delivery in Hamburg, during a delivery ceremony at the planemaker’s Jürgen Thomas A380 Delivery Centre. With 25 A380 aircraft now in its fleet, growing to 31 by the end of 2012, Emirates is the largest A380 operator worldwide and with 90 jets on firm order by far the largest A380 customer. The Dubai-based carrier was the first airline to order the A380 and thus enabled Airbus to proceed with the programme. The further 65 A380s on Emirates’ order book is part of Emirates’ overall 216 aircraft still to be delivered; worth US62 billion.

Commenting on this historic delivery, Mr. Khalid Bardan, Vice President Pakistan Emirates Airlines said, “The number of travelers from Pakistan on Emirates is on the rise and with the addition of these aircrafts, these travelers can now enjoy the luxury and comfort of these aircrafts when they are traveling beyond Dubai.” “This fleet expansion reiterates our commitment to operating a modern fleet for the benefit of our passengers and to ensure operational efficiency as well.” He further added.

“We are extremely proud to be handing over to Emirates their 25th A380,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “With its growing fleet of A380s, Emirates has raised the bar for the industry in terms of passenger comfort and economic efficiency. Operating at some of the world’s busiest airports, Emirates A380s are proving day in, day out not just how good the aircraft is at reducing congestion but also how quiet and environmentally friendly it is.”

Amongst its 186 aircraft in operation, Emirates has the world’s largest fleet of A380s which currently serve Amsterdam, Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Manchester, Munich, New York JFK, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto. Melbourne today joins the A380 network and Moscow and Singapore will receive Emirates A380 service in December. In early 2013, Emirates will expand operations at Dubai in the world’s first exclusive A380 terminal, Concourse A, at Dubai International Airport.