Emirates operated its first superjumbo A380 to New Delhi yesterday as a special flight to celebrate the launch of the newly opened Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the Indian capital.
This move by Emirates has given rise to speculation that the airline is looking to launch its superjumbo A380 into India in the near future.
While no statement from Emirates was yet forthcoming, India’s Business Standard newspaper has cited sources in Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) that its winter schedule could see the Dubai-based carrier and German airliner Lufthansa launch the wide-body, four-engine aircraft to the city.
Majid Al Mualla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, West Asia and Indian Ocean, said in a statement:
“Emirates has been flying to Delhi since our first day of operations in 1985. Twenty-five years on, 10 destinations and 184 weekly flights certainly represent the efforts and investment that have gone into building a strong relationship with India.”
“The fact that we are bringing the A380 here is a reiteration of the potential that we see in the Indian market and our intent to partner with the nation in its growth.”
Emirates last month placed an order with Airbus for an additional 32 A380’s, taking the total firm order to 90, valued at $11.5 billion at list prices.
Emirates currently flies its superjumbo to 11 destinations, including London, Toronto, Bangkok, Paris, Jeddah, Seoul, Sydney and Auckland. It will fly the A380 aircraft to Beijing from 1st August, Manchester from 1st September and resume services to New York from 31st October.
The one-way fare on the July 15 special 517-seat flight was priced at Dh380, plus taxes, or Dh990, plus taxes, on the return fare.
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