Emirates is expecting to return its Airbus A380 aircraft to service on routes to Australia and New Zealand from the end of this year. The Dubai-based carrier has started selling flights conducted with the superjumbo to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Christchurch.
The giant will be back in action
According to Executive Traveller, these Airbus A380 flights heading down under will begin between October 31st and November 2nd. These resumptions are ahead of what traditionally is a busy period of summer travel in Oceania. Moreover, the schedule runs in line with the vaccine rollout timeline Australia.
Emirates’ A380 service will return to Sydney from November 1st. This daily operation from Dubai will complement the current Boeing 777-300ER service that departs five times a week. Additionally, those flying onwards to Christchurch will be able to board the superjumbo from November 2nd.
Flights from Dubai to Melbourne will be switched from the 777 to the A380 by November 1st. Plus, from October 31st, services to Perth will also be with the giant, and passengers will be able to choose daily options.
Unlike its fellow cities, there hasn’t been a reveal for A380 plans in Brisbane. However, flights will be boosted to a daily service by the end of October.
Sadly, for those looking to fly to and from Adelaide, flights remain suspended to the capital of South Australia. Nonetheless, passengers can book codeshare flights to the destination operated by Qantas from the end of the year.
Changes in the market
Altogether, Emirates has been showing that it still has faith in the A380 for its future operations. Several other operators have long-term grounded or retired the widebody over the last year. It’s a different mentality with the UAE carrier as just earlier this month, it shared that it will also fly the model to 18 cities this summer.
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Regarding the trips down south, it’s expected that Australia will require vaccinations if passengers want to enter the country later this year. Qantas head Alan Joyce affirms that authorities will insist on vaccines for travelers. This factor has led his company to highlight that this would be a requirement for its passengers if international travel was to open up. To gear up for this transition, Qantas last month announced the use of digital health passes to help with the recording of required documentation.
Needing to adapt
So, with Australia and Qantas conveying the need for vaccination, perhaps those traveling with Emirates on these flights at the end of 2021 will also need to go through these processes. Vaccination may at least be required in order to bypass quarantine procedures. Regardless, it’s positive to see that Emirates expects a boost of customers this year.
Simple Flying reached out to Emirates for comment on its A380 flights to Australia. We will update the article with any further announcements from the airline.
What are your thoughts about Emirates bringing back the Airbus A380 to Australia later this year? Do you feel that this is a good move for the carrier? Also, are you looking to hit the skies with the superjumbo again? Let us know what you think of the prospects in the comment section.