Air Wars hots up as Emirates launches Airbus 380 NY / JFK - Dubai route
Emirates start their Dubai - New York JFK round trip 3 times weekly flights in 2 weeks, of their spanking brand new Airbus 380's and join Singapore Airlines, now perating twice daily London/Singapore in operating these massive air cruisers. (Singapore are offering flights from Singapore to the Olympics from 2-8th August)
In a media blitz they will be operating a series of 2 hour round trip “familiarisation” flights out of San Francisco and Los Angeles for invited guests - the hot ticket in town - Lord Patel has had to demur as he will be busy watching TV that day.
The San Francisco familiarisation flight is scheduled for August 4, with the Los Angeles event set for the following day. The guests will be encouraged to tour the aircraft and take a close look at its three-class configuration - 14 first-class suites, 76 business seats and 399 economy – and a likely array of amenities that has the industry on tenterhooks.
Details released so far include showers in first-class and an all-premium upper deck but the the wraps are firmly on the aircraft being prepared in Hamburg.
Emirates will receive a total of five A380s in its current financial year, all in three-class, 489-seat ultra-long-haul configuration. After New York, these aircraft will operate on Emirates’ routes from Dubai to London Heathrow and Sydney-Auckland. The airline also plans to take delivery of numbers of A380s with three-class/517-seat and two-class/604-seat layouts.
Meanwhile gossip continues that George Bush (President United States) will bow out having ordered at least one Airbus 380 for Air Force One to repace the ageing White House 747 fleet.
Boeings Dreamliner is going to be very much on the back foot as the space and extra facilities cannot be offered - and the fuel cost savings have no or litle impact on ticket prices - especially to a market led by people who don't even look at the ticket price.
