LONDON – Emirates has today announced it will upgrade its capacity on the Dubai-Narita route using its flagship Airbus A380 aircraft.
The upgrade will take place on November 15, which comes in line with Japan scrapping the daily arrival cap due that was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
EK318 will depart Dubai at 0255 local time, and arrive in Narita at 1720 local time. The return, EK319, will depart Narita at 2230 local time, before arriving in Dubai at 0530 local the next day.
Emirates said the following regarding this announcement:
“The reintroduction of the Emirates A380 to Narita also underscores the airline’s long-standing commitment to Japan’s tourism and travel sector.”
“By providing more capacity, the airline aims to serve the pent-up demand for travel into Japan along with providing choice and flexibility for travelers through its daily service to Osaka EK316/317, operated by the Boeing 777.”
“This year, Emirates is celebrating two decades of successful operations at Osaka’s Kansai International Airport.”
“Emirates was the first airline to establish air connectivity between Japan and the UAE, as well as the rest of the Arabian Gulf countries, back in 2002.”
“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the airline continued to contribute to the local community by transporting essential air cargo between Japan and other global markets, which also helped to maintain the trade links that were needed during the unprecedented times via its Dubai hub.”
Emirates’ A380 on this particular route will offer 14 seats in First Class, followed by 76 in Business Class, with the rest being in Economy Class.
Enhanced Benefits with United?
With United Airlines offering flights into Japan as well, this extra capacity will no doubt open up more revenue streams for the American carrier due to their recently announced codeshare with Emirates.
The codeshare agreement settled between the two airlines opens massive connectivity gateways for each airline’s customers, as United (UA) customers traveling through Dubai (DXB), can now connect to over 100 destinations on an Emirates (EK) flight, and starting in November, Emirates (EK) customers flying to three of the nations biggest business hubs, can connect onwards to over 200 cities within the United States.
CEO of United, Scott Kirby, commented on the announcement saying:- “This agreement unites two iconic, flag carrier airlines who share a common commitment to creating the best customer experience in the skies.”
“United’s new flight to Dubai and our complementary networks will make global travel easier for millions of our customers, helping boost local economies and strengthen cultural ties.”
“This is a proud moment for both United and Emirates employees, and I look forward to our journey together.”
Emirates President Sir Tim Clark, said:
“Two of the biggest and best-known airlines in the world are joining hands to fly people better to more places at a time when travel demand is rebounding with a vengeance.”
“It’s a significant partnership that will unlock tremendous consumer benefit and bring the United Arab Emirates and the United States even closer.”
“We welcome United’s return to Dubai next year, where our hub Dubai essentially becomes a gateway for United to reach Asia, Africa, and the Middle East via the combined network of Emirates and flydubai.”
“We look forward to developing our partnership with United for the long term.”
Either way, this is good news for Emirates, as this route will be able to generate more revenue as capacity offerings get enhanced and extended.
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