UAE. Emirates Airline made history on 1 August when its Airbus A380 landed at New York JFK International Airport – the first commercial A380 superjumbo jet to touch down on American soil.
Touching down at approximately 4.35pm, the 13.5-hour flight took off at 11am Dubai time with 489 passengers – including Emirates President Tim Clark – and 24 cabin crew on board.
“We are very pleased to celebrate Emirates’ inaugural flight from Dubai to New York – the first commercial service to touch down in the US,” said Clark in his reception speech to public officials, members of the media and special guests at the airport.
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Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, Aviation Susan Bear added: “We have just celebrated the 60th anniversary of Kennedy International Airport. We now welcome the first service of this remarkable aircraft to the US.”
Emirates, which took delivery of its first of 58 A380s last week at Airbus’ new Jürgen Thomas A380 Delivery Centre, is expected to receive four more of the superjumbos in the current financial year.
Onboard the Emirates A380
Crew, passengers and public reflected on the flight after it touched down at JFK’s Terminal 4.
“Flying the first commercial service of the Emirates A380 to the US was thrilling,” commented Emirates pilot Captain Abbas Shaban. “Although bigger than any other civil aircraft, the A380 is smoother and quieter than any other commercial aircraft I have flown,” he added.
The A380 is the world’s only twin-deck, two-aisle airliner, offering the widest cabin of any aircraft. The aircraft’s floor area is +49% bigger and has +35% more seats than its closest rival. It towers at 79 feet, 7 inches high with a wing span of 261 feet, 8 inches.
Powered by American aircraft engine maker Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engines, Emirates’ A380s have a range of up to 9,320 miles and offer better fuel economy per passenger mile than most hybrid passenger cars. The A380 is also quieter – both inside and outside of the cabin – generating less than half the noise of other aircraft on take off.
All cabins feature Emirates’ award-winning ICE (information, communication, entertainment) inflight entertainment system, which consist of over 1,100 channels of on-demand entertainment. Each cabin is also equipped with an advanced mood lighting system, complete with a starlit sky, which adjusts throughout the flight to reflect the time at the destination and to help combat the effects of jet lag.
Emirates’ A380 is equipped with 14 First Class, 76 Business Class and 399 Economy seats. Unique to the aircraft are its Shower Spas, two fully-equipped bathrooms in the First Class cabins with shower facilities. In addition to increasing cabin crew for its A380, Emirates brought in Cabin Service Assistants tasked with keeping the Shower Spas clean for the exclusive use of First Class passengers.
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Emirates’ A380 takes flying to a new level with its Business Class lounge, shower spas and private suites | |
Besides private showers, the Emirates’ A380 also contains a Business Class lounge offering a list of premium wines and beverages.
Passengers on board also enjoyed the airline’s extensive menu of multi-course meal options, created by top international chefs and complemented by Champagnes, wines and ports.
Emirates also launched its new cabin crew uniform on the inaugural flight. Continuing the trademark beige and red theme of the previous outfit, the latest apparel is said to give a sharper, more business-like feel to the onboard service, according to the airline.
“It was a wonderful flight – I landed here at New York with virtually no jet lag,” commented Harry Moraes, a Business Class passenger and a member of Emirates’ Skywards frequent flyer programme. “After 13-and-a-half hours we felt fresh and well-rested. The aircraft offers a remarkable sense of space and comfort,” he added.
“The experience was unique,” commented Mrs Weadley, a First Class passenger and Emirates customer travelling on the flight. “The cabin was so quiet and spacious; there was a true sense of peace and privacy. My husband and I travelled from Perth, Australia; we felt very good and relaxed after a trip half way around the world.” she added.
Forging a way in the US
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates JFK Airport, invested US$179 million last year to upgrade the airport’s taxiways and bridges to handle the new aircraft. Emirates also constructed a new jetway for its First and Business Class passengers to board the A380 directly from the Emirates Lounge at JFK.
In his address to the media, Clark also indicated that other US cities are being evaluated for Emirates’ growing route network, including Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth and Washington. New points will augment the airlines’ existing US gateways of New York, Houston and soon Los Angeles (26 October) and San Francisco (15 December).
Starting 8 August, Emirates will operate the world’s largest passenger aircraft three times a week on its New York-Dubai route (EK202/EK201) on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. After eventually being incorporated in Emirates’ twice-daily service to New York, the aircraft will be deployed on the London Heathrow route from 1 December and on the Sydney and Auckland services from February next year.
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