MORE AIRBUS A380’S FOR EMIRATES’ PASSENGERS
(Posted 11th November 2014)
Emirates’ passengers from Eastern Africa, where the airline flies to Entebbe, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, can look forward to yet more Airbus A380 connections out of Dubai come mid to late December.
The airline has already confirmed that after deploying this aircraft type recently to Dallas next to follow will be San Francisco and Houston before the end of the year with other US destinations likely to be added in early 2015.
Airline sources mentioned that by the end of the year they expect to operate 55 of the world’s largest passenger aircraft and that by the end of next year some 68 out of an overall order of 140 will be flying in Emirates’ colours.
As and when more of these aircraft have been delivered will additional destinations see the change from the B777 to the A380 next year, giving connecting passengers, who fly on A340’s, A330’s and B777’s from East Africa to Dubai, the chance to experience the unique comfort and luxury of Emirates’ First Class suites, their award winning Business Class and the spacious Economy class cabins.
Said one of Kampala’s leading travel agents: ‘Emirates remains the Gulf airline of choice for many Ugandans because the offer wide body aircraft comfort from Entebbe. Other airlines use Airbus A320 or in the case of Turkish the B737’s and the preference is clear. Like many travelers are not happy to fly on a turboprop aircraft to connect somewhere, they also prefer a wide bodied aircraft over a single aisle aircraft. There may be no real rationale about this but it remains a fact that my passengers feel happier on a larger aircraft compared to a smaller aircraft and Emirates gives them exactly what they want’.
Asked about the impact of the recent start of flights by flydubai did the agent respond: ‘They are tapping into a fresh market segment where it is the price which matters or have taken market share from those with the cheapest fares so far but which require a stop enroute. The new airline has had no impact on our sales on Emirates’.
For more details on schedules and the growing number of A380 destinations click on www.emirates.com
One Response
Sir, The fresh market segment as they claim, earlier was still using Emirates to connect to Dubai. The arrival of Fly Dubai must have anyways affected their business. But the customer is helped in so many ways with the arrival of any new player in the business.