Emirates has confirmed an upgrade to its Sydney services, transitioning to an exclusive A380 operation. Commencing 4 November 2023, the switch will see nearly 2,000 additional weekly seats due to the incorporation of the double-decker aircraft for the third daily flight. This comes as Emirates has already utilised all three of its available slots at Sydney airport.
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The existing Boeing 777-300ER on routes EK 416 and 417 will be replaced by the Emirates A380, configured in three classes and offering 489 seats. This change means over 260 added daily seats and increased connection opportunities both to and from Dubai. Moreover, it facilitates greater access to sought-after destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This third A380 service will join the other two Sydney A380 services, both of which feature Emirates’ latest Premium Economy cabin.
Currently, Emirates conducts 63 weekly flights to Australia, providing roughly 56,000 seats via its four primary gateways. Melbourne and Sydney have thrice daily operations, Brisbane benefits from double daily flights, and Perth enjoys the daily service of the flagship A380. Additionally, Emirates has restored its Melbourne to Singapore route and now links Sydney with Christchurch, delivering the sole A380 experience over the Trans-Tasman.
Emirates Returns to Adelaide 2024
Come winter 2024, the introduction of the Emirates Airbus A350 is poised to allow the airline’s global network to expand. This move will enable the fleet’s growth and make available more of Emirates’ long-range aircraft to cater to locations such as Adelaide. Talks are ongoing with Adelaide Airport about resuming nonstop services, in line with Emirates’ pledge to connect every part of Australia to its extensive network.
Barry Brown, Emirates Divisional Vice President Australasia, commented: “With the triple daily A380 service, Emirates continues to connect Australians to Dubai and onwards to a wealth of iconic destinations. Emirates’ addition of nonstop services to Adelaide is in lockstep with our commitment to Australia to expand and improve connectivity options for travellers. We can’t wait to be back in Adelaide and once again play a key role in South Australians’ international travel plans.”
He added: “We’re very close to resuming our full schedule of pre-pandemic non-stop services and we’re working hard to match capacity with demand as more aircraft roll back into service. There has been a lot of discussion around airfares in Australia in relation to shortfall of capacity, which is only one of several factors that impact ticket prices. Similar to many other sectors, across the aviation industry our highest operating expenses have surged. There has been a sharp rise in fuel, ground handling, catering, and workforce costs as we try to attract and retain the right talent. Even as more capacity comes back into Australia, airlines, especially those with long-haul services, will continue to face challenges in striking a balance to offset these costs where possible. In spite of these challenges, we’re committed to strengthening our schedules as much as we can, and offering the essential connectivity that Australian travellers have come to know and expect of us.”
The third A380 service for Sydney will leave Dubai at 2130hrs and touch down in Sydney at 1820hrs local time. The return journey will set off from Sydney at 2110hrs and land in Dubai at 0430hrs local time.
To cater to the growing global travel demand, Emirates is progressively increasing its A380 deployments. Presently, the airline operates its flagship A380 to over 50 destinations and anticipates adding more cities to this list in the forthcoming months.
