DUBAI, U.A.E Emirates will increase its Dubai-Singapore connections with the introduction of a permanent Airbus A380 service from 1st December 2012. Emirates will be the first and only carrier to offer a scheduled A380 service on this route.
The 517-seat A380 aircraft will be deployed for flights EK354 and EK355 replacing the 354-seat Boeing 777-300ER and thus resulting in a 46% increase in capacity.
With the addition of A380 services, Emirates’ total capacity across four daily services from Dubai to Singapore increases to 1,659 seats daily. The launch of A380 services confirms Changi Airport’s status as Emirates’ South East Asian hub with over 1,100 seats daily connecting through to Brisbane, Melbourne and Colombo.
“Emirates is currently operating a two week ad-hoc Airbus A380 service between Dubai and Singapore which has received extremely positive responses from our passengers. In light of this we have decided to bring our flagship aircraft to Singapore on a permanent basis. This follows our progressive build-up of services on this route over the last few years. Despite the current global economic uncertainty, we remain committed to the Singapore market adding significant seat capacity – over 2,200 seats a week – which is set to foster tourism and trade between Singapore, Dubai and beyond,” said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ senior vice president, commercial operations Far East & Australasia.
“The signature Emirates A380 service is pivotal to our overall business strategy. Our passengers in Singapore can look forward to enjoying the widely admired and popular aircraft, known for its quietness, spaciousness and award-winning on-board products, all the way from Singapore into much of Europe that includes Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Manchester, Munich, Paris and Rome,” added Obaidalla.
Flight EK 354 departs Dubai daily at 0325hrs (local time) and arrives in Singapore at 1440hrs (local time). The return daily flight, EK 355 departs Singapore at 2135hrs (local time) and arrives in Dubai at 0100hrs (local time).
Emirates’ fleet of 23 A380s now serves Amsterdam, Auckland, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, London Heathrow, Manchester, Munich, New York JFK, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo from its Dubai Hub. Additional A380 destinations that are set to launch this year include Melbourne (from 1 October 2012) and both Singapore and Moscow (from 1 December 2012).
