Posted inTransport

10 years on, how the Emirates A380 is still flying high

Emirates says it has carried more than 105 million passengers on its iconic A380 aircraft as the airline celebrates 10 years of service

Emirates has announced it has carried more than 105 million passengers on its iconic A380 aircraft as the airline celebrated 10 years of service.

Since its first flight to New York from Dubai on August 1, 2008, the Emirates A380 has clocked more than 1.5 billion kilometres on 115,000 flights, equivalent to 39,000 trips around the globe.

Emirates is the world’ largest operator of the A380 aircraft, with 104 double-decker aircraft flying to 49 cities, with more than 80 daily departures from Dubai, the airline’s hub.

The airline has a further 58 A380s on order.Emirates operates the world’s shortest A380 route from Dubai to Kuwait and the world’s longest A380 non-stop route from Dubai to Auckland.

Sir Tim Clark, president Emirates Airline said: “It’s been 10 extraordinary years since the first Emirates A380 flight took to the skies, and today it has become one of the most recognisable and admired aircraft in the world.

“We remain committed to providing the best experience for our customers aboard our flagship aircraft, and introducing new innovations that will continue to ‘wow’ them every time they fly with us.

“The aircraft continues to boost tourism and trade wherever it flies by stimulating further traffic and demand, and we hope that it continues to play an important role in the economies and societies that it serves in the years to come.”

Emirates revolutionised the A380’s cabin space design when it introduced its bespoke version of the aircraft in 2008, incorporating industry-first elements like its OnBoard Lounge and Shower Spa.

Emirates said it has 1,500 flight deck crew and over 20,000 cabin crew specially trained to operate its A380 fleet.

The Emirates A380 programme supports manufacturing jobs across the global aircraft manufacturing supply chain, and Airbus estimates that Emirates’ A380 orders support 41,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs in Europe alone.

In January, Emirates ordered a further 36 A380s worth $16 billion, taking the airline’s commitment for the aircraft to 178 units.

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