The A380 wins over passengers and contributes to the bottom line in service with Emirates
16-Nov-2011 Emirates' expanding A380 fleet is enabling the Dubai-based global carrier to meet growing traffic demand while coping with such operational constraints as airport landing slot limitations and air traffic saturation - with this airline fully ready to utilise the full number of 21st century flagship airliners it has on order.
"Our deployment plans for the A380 are well established, and we already know how we will use the 90 A380s we are acquiring," said Adel Al Redha, the Executive Vice President - Engineering & Operations at Emirates. "With the high traffic growth in the Middle East and Gulf region, particularly here in Dubai, there will definitely be a demand for every single one of these aircraft."
Emirates currently operates 17 A380s, which is the single largest fleet in worldwide service today. It began using the aircraft on long-haul routes from Dubai to such destinations as New York and Toronto, subsequently expanding into Europe, and adding the Far East and Australia to the destination list.
"For us, the A380 is not only an aircraft for use on long-haul routes, as demonstrated with our regional flights in the Gulf between Dubai and Jeddah," Al Redha explained. "As we receive additional A380s, we plan to gradually introduce them on more short- and medium-haul segments. Whenever we put this aircraft into service at one destination, other airports ask: 'When is it our turn?'"
Passengers continue to give the A380 very high marks for comfort and service, with travellers making special efforts to find routes where Emirates is operating the jetliner. "People really love the A380, and the feedback continues to be excellent," Al Redha stated. "A friend of mine recently made his first trip on an A380, and he said the only problem was that the flight seemed to go by too quickly."
Al Redha added that the A380 also is making a positive contribution to Emirates' bottom line with its high passenger capacity, reduced fuel burned and economical operation. "While it has been painful to see the continuous increase in fuel prices, the A380 has helped us reduce some of the pain and meet the operating costs challenge during the past year," he said.