Emirates is set to become the first airline to operate a regular scheduled service to London Gatwick airport aboard the A380, the world’s largest passenger jet.
Emirates will add the 489-seat A380 to one of the three daily round-trip flights that it flies between Dubai and London Gatwick. The two decks of the Emirates A380 will have 399 seats in Economy Class, 76 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 14 luxury First Class Private Suites.
From March 30, the airline’s 489-seat A380 will replace the Boeing 777-300ER on EK flight 09/10, bringing a 36 percent increase in capacity on one of its three daily flights.
Thierry Antinori, executive vice president of Emirates Airline, said: ‘London Gatwick was our first destination in the UK when we launched our services to the airport in 1987.
‘Our long term strategic partnership with London Gatwick enables us to bring our flagship A380 on a regularly scheduled basis and build on our robust presence at the airport. Our support for London Gatwick’s long-term growth plans is aligned with our global strategy to optimise capacity on our major routes and to offer our passengers with ever more opportunities to fly on our A380s.
‘The A380s are highly popular with our customers because of all travel comforts – thoughtful touches and luxury features – that we have packed into it,’ he added.
Stewart Wingate, chief executive of London Gatwick, said: ‘Scheduled A380 services further demonstrate Gatwick’s emergence as a world-class airport, which now supports routes to established and emerging markets across the globe, and is rapidly becoming London’s airport of choice for both business and leisure passengers.
‘Emirates and Gatwick have worked successfully together for more than 25 years so we are delighted that we will welcome its iconic A380 next year.
‘This news is testament to the strong partnership we have with Emirates and its confidence in Gatwick as a dynamic, ambitious airport, which has vastly improved and enhanced facilities for its airlines and passengers in recent years.’
