Citing high passenger demand, Dubai-based Emirates airlines announced that starting from today, it would be offering a second daily Airbus A380 flight from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Cairo International Airport (CAI) in Egypt. When making the announcement on Twitter, the Gulf carrier said it would be placing a second Airbus A380 aircraft on the route due to increased passenger demand for the four-hour and fifteen-minute flight to the Egyptian capital.
Looking at the Emirates website, we can see the first daily A380 flight EK927 departing DBX at 08:10 in the morning and arriving at CAI at 10:25 EET, which is UTC +2. The second daily A380 flight from DXB EK923 departs DXB at 15:00, arriving at CAI at 17:15 local time.
Emirates will operate a second daily @Airbus A380 service to Cairo starting today, 7 March, to meet high passenger demand between @DXB and Egypt’s capital. #FlyEmiratesFlyBetter pic.twitter.com/Y52LIBtORV
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) March 7, 2021
The return leg from Cairo to Dubai flight number EK928 departs CAI at 12:25 and arrives in DXB at 17:45 GST, which is UTC +4. The second A380 return flight of the day, EK924, departs CAI at 19:20 and arrives in Dubai at 00:50 local time.
Emirates A380s first flew to CAI in 2019
Emirates first introduced its flagship Airbus A380 aircraft on the Dubai to Cairo route on October 2, 2019, making it the first commercial airline to have a regularly scheduled A380 flight to Egypt. When speaking about the importance of the flight in a press release seen by Simple Flying, Emirates Chief Operating Officer, Adel Al Redha said:
“Our close relationship with Egypt spans over 30 years, and we reaffirm our commitment to the country by operating our iconic A380 to Cairo. We are setting the stage to make the popular A380 experience a part of our scheduled service to Cairo. Egypt has always been a significant destination for us in the region, and we are humbled to be able to play a role in making aviation history in Egypt. We are confident that Egyptian travelers will enjoy the Emirates A380 experience, especially our innovative products such as the onboard lounge and shower spa.”
Emirates A380s can carry 516 passengers
All Emirates A380s on the DXB to CAI route feature a three-class configuration made up of the following:
- 14 luxurious first class suites
- 76 flat-bed business class seats
- 426 economy class seats
First class passengers on Emirates get to experience the ultimate in luxury with first class suites offering privacy and anytime fine dining. First class passengers are also welcome to use the onboard showers and have a drink at the world’s most exclusive bar. Passengers in all classes can enjoy complimentary meals and beverages served by Emirates multi-national cabin crew.
Emirates extends Nigeria suspension
In other Emirates-related news, the Dubai English language newspaper, the Khaleej Times, reports that Emirates has extended its ban on flights to Lagos and Abuja until March 20. In February, Emirates said that its suspension of flights to Nigeria would last until March 10.
“In line with government directives, passenger services from Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) to Dubai are temporarily suspended until March 20, 2021. Customers from both Abuja and Lagos will not be accepted for travel prior to or including this date.
“Passengers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days are not allowed entry into the UAE (whether terminating in or connecting through Dubai).”
Emirates flights from Dubai to Lagos and Abuja will continue to operate as per the normal schedule, it said.
“We regret the inconvenience caused, and affected customers should contact their booking agent or Emirates call center for rebooking. Emirates remains committed to Nigeria, and we look forward to resuming passenger services to Dubai for our customers when conditions allow,” said the statement.
While it is nice to see that the demand is there for Emirates to place a second A380 on the Cairo route, the commercial aviation industry still has a long way to go before returning to 2019 numbers.
What do you think about two daily A380 flights to Cairo? Please tell us your thoughts in the comments.
