Dubai’s Emirates operates inaugural flight to Terminal 1 at Jeddah airport

Dubai carrier Emirates has made its inaugural touchdown at Terminal 1 in Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA), making it the first airline to land into the new terminal.

Emirates’ EK flight 2803 landed in Jeddah at 6.10pm on March 29, and was greeted with a water cannon salute.

Emirates deployed its flagship for the inaugural flight, featuring the premium economy seats, as well as enhancements across every cabin. Passengers arriving on the A380 can now enjoy amenities and services on the ground, including easy boarding and disembarkation from two-tier aerobridges for passengers travelling in its different cabins.

In December 2020, Emirates launched its premium economy offering on its new Airbus A380, which offers 56 seats in a 2-4-2 cabin layout. Its premium economy offers 40-inches of leg space, with a seat that is 19.5 inches wide and reclines 8 inches.

Read: Dubai’s Emirates airline unveils premium economy class in its new Airbus A380

Mohammed Alnahari Alhashmi, vice president, commercial operations, Saudi Arabia said: “Moving to Terminal 1 represents a significant improvement in the customer experience. Emirates customers will have access to world-class amenities, including restaurants, retail outlets, airport lounges and much more.”

Emirates has been supporting the kingdom’s pandemic response by ensuring health and safety for all its customers and employees. This has included the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits for customers, PPE protection for all of its cabin crew, deep cleaning and disinfection of aircraft, and use of industrial-grade HEPA air filters, amongst other measures.

The airline has also stepped up to support the kingdom’s international trade links, and has also been instrumental in transporting critical medical supplies, vaccines, PPE, food and other supplies into the country.

KAIA Terminal 1 is one of the largest terminals in the country, and has the capacity of handling 30 million passengers a year, combining both domestic and international flights. It is able to accommodate up to 70 aircraft simultaneously, including the Airbus A380. Terminal 1 is also connected to Haramain high-speed railway, enabling passengers to travel to Medina and Mecca.