DUBAI 21 February 2018: For the first time in Rafic Al Hariri International Airport’s history, Emirates will operate a special one-off A380 service to Beirut on 29 March.
The airline’s flagship double-decker will become the first-ever scheduled A380 service to Beirut, and Emirates is working with the airport to test the operations and necessary infrastructure to accommodate an A380 service.
The Emirates A380 service will operate as EK 957 and EK 958, departing Dubai at 0725hrs and arriving in Beirut at 1030hrs. The flight will depart Beirut at 1415hrs arriving in Dubai at 1905hrs on the same day.
Since 1991, when the first service to Beirut was inaugurated, close to 5 million passengers have flown on Emirates. The airline started operating between Dubai and Beirut with a three times weekly service utilising a Boeing 727. Since then, Emirates has developed its services based on growing passenger demand and currently offers three daily flights to Beirut utilising a mix of Boeing 777 aircraft, connecting travellers to destinations across the Far East, Southeast Asia and Africa via its Dubai hub.
Since 2015, Emirates has also transported over 54,000 tons of cargo to and from the country, supporting businesses and exporters. Main commodities exported from Lebanon bound for the UAE and beyond to the Emirates network include fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.
The Emirates A380 flying to Beirut will be set in a three-class configuration, with 429 seats in Economy Class on the lower deck, 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites on the upper deck. Once the A380 reaches cruising altitude, passengers in the First Class cabin can enjoy one of two on-board Shower Spas before joining fellow premium class travellers in the On Board Lounge where they can socialise, network and enjoy complimentary beverages, canapés and other special delicacies at 40,000 feet.
Emirates increases capacity to Lisbon
Emirates announced it will resume a second daily service to Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, from 1 June 2018.
The flight will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER in a three class cabin configuration, with eight private suites in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class, and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class.
The second flight, EK193, will depart Dubai at 1425hrs and arrive in Lisbon at 1940hrs, while the return flight EK194, will leave Lisbon at 2115hrs and land in Dubai at 0805 the next morning. Emirates’current flight, EK191, departs Dubai at 0725hrs and arrives in Lisbon at 1235pm. The return flight EK192, departs Lisbon at 1415pm and arrives back in Dubai 0110pm.
With the choice of two conveniently timed flights a day, travellers will enjoy seamless and increased connectivity through Emirates’ Dubai hub to key destinations across the airline’s worldwide network, including Australia, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Luanda, Thailand and Johannesburg.
The added frequency will also enable Emirates SkyCargo to offer up to 20 tonnes of cargo capacity on the aircraft per flight, giving businesses and traders opportunities for increased imports and exports.
Emirates new service to Auckland via Bali
Emirates plans to launch a new daily service from Dubai to Auckland via the island of Bali, Indonesia, starting from 14 June 2018.
The new service will offer global travellers a total of three daily services to New Zealand, complementing Emirates’ existing non-stop daily service between Dubai and Auckland and its current daily A380 service between Dubai and Christchurch via Sydney. Travellers will also enjoy a choice of three daily services between Dubai to Bali in the summer*, as the new flight adds to Emirates’ two existing daily services which are currently operated by a Boeing 777 300-ER in a two-class configuration.
Emirates’ new Dubai-Bali-Auckland flight will provide the only year-round non-stop daily service between Auckland and Bali, giving passengers an opportunity to visit and/or stop over in one of the most popular islands in Indonesia. The airline will operate a 777-300ER on the route, offering 8 seats in First, 42 seats in Business and 304 seats in Economy class, as well as 20 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity.
Apart from the opportunity for a stopover in Bali, the new service will provide excellent connections to/from London and other major European cities. The southbound flight, EK 450, will depart Dubai at 06:55, arriving at Denpasar (Bali) at 20:20 local time, before flying on to Auckland at 22:00, arriving in New Zealand’s biggest city at 10:00, the following day
Northbound, the new service will depart Auckland as flight EK 451 at the convenient time of 12:40, arriving in Denpasar at 17:55 local time. It will depart Denpasar at 19:50, arriving in Dubai just after midnight at 00:45, connecting to flights to many of the points beyond on the extensive Emirates and flydubai partnership network.