Dubai’s Emirates ramps up A380 flights; adds services to UK and Russia

Dubai carrier Emirates will operate its A380 aircraft four times daily to London Heathrow from November 27 and six times a week to Manchester from December 2.

The airline will also deploy additional A380 services to Moscow from the current twice-a-week, to a daily service from November 25.

Emirates will also increase flights to Birmingham and Glasgow from the current four-a-week to daily services at both cities, from November 27 and December 1 respectively.

Emirates’ services to Manchester will increase from the current eight-a-week to 10 flights per week from December 1, of which six will be served by an Emirates A380 and four with a Boeing 777-300ER.

These represent a significant expansion of Emirates services to the UK, following the recent establishment of the UK-UAE air travel corridor which has led to increased demand.

Under the air travel corridor, travellers entering the UK from the UAE will no longer be required to quarantine. In the other direction, UK travellers heading to Dubai can opt to do their Covid-19 PCR tests 96 hours in advance of their flight, or to do the test on arrival in Dubai.

Read: UAE, Bahrain added to UK travel corridor removing 14-day quarantine for travellers

“On the back of reporting its biggest loss, Emirates is keep to tap into the demand pool for travel between the UK and UAE,” opined Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research.

“And with nearly all of its 777-200LR and 777-300ERs back in service across its network, Emirates has taken the decisive step to re-introduce the A380 on selected routes, particularly London and Manchester, where it knows that it can capitalise on demand when England’s current Covid-19 lockdown is poised to end on December 2, 2020.”

Emirates’ services to Moscow will also meet increased demand from travellers seeking to holiday in Dubai or at destinations in close proximity.

Last month, Emirates resumed its A380 onboard lounge and shower spa services with additional health and safety measures in place.

Read: Dubai’s Emirates relaunches A380 onboard lounge, shower spa services

Emirates has implemented a set of measures to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers.

Emirates allows customers to claim Covid-19 related medical expenses on flights undertaken until December 31, 2020, and is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey.

Read: Dubai’s Emirates to be first airline to offer free cover for Covid-19 medical costs for passengers