Emirates expands A380 global network

By Mike Omuodo

Emirates, a global connector of people and places, will over the next few months increase the number of destinations to which it flies its flagship A380 aircraft, providing more opportunities for Kenyans to enjoy and experience the A380 when they connect through Dubai to any of more than 30 destinations worldwide. 

In addition to current destinations such as London Heathrow, Mumbai and Amsterdam, Emirates will introduce the A380 onto its daily service to Frankfurt from September 1, Dallas from October 1, San Francisco from December 1, and Houston from December 3. 

“Even though Emirates does not operate the A380 between Nairobi and Dubai, Emirates customers in Kenya travelling beyond Dubai can experience this iconic aircraft on more than 30 popular and key destinations, as well as those that will be launched in the coming months,” said Anita Kongson, Emirates Country Manager for Kenya. 

“The Emirates A380 truly is an unrivalled flying experience. We have redefined air travel with amazing features such as an on-board lounge and shower spa, making our flagship aircraft very popular among passengers. Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the A380 with 50 in service and another 90 on order,” she said.

On board, passengers can experience a range of unique facilities in all cabins - from the famous Shower Spas in First Class, to the A380 On-board Lounge where passengers in the premium cabins can relax in a social environment during the flight; as well as 11.4” touch screen LED personal TVs.

Passengers across all cabins can enjoy up to 1,800 channels of the latest movies, TV shows and music from around the world alongside a range of games on the award-winning ice inflight entertainment system. The latest technology allows passengers to stay connected throughout the flight with high-speed Wi-Fi access and mobile phone and data services.

The destinations to which Emirates A380 serves daily include Amsterdam, Barcelona, Beijing, Brisbane, Kuala Lumpur, London Gatwick, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mauritius, Manchester, Melbourne, Munich, Moscow, Rome, Seoul, Singapore, Zurich and Mumbai. The airline flies the A380 twice daily to New York JFK, Paris, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Bangkok and Sydney, and three times daily to Auckland and 5 times daily to London Heathrow. Emirates also flies A380 5 times weekly to Shanghai and three times weekly to Toronto. 

Emirates operates double daily flights between Nairobi and Dubai and onward to more than 140 destinations in 81 countries across six continents.  Aircraft operated on the route are wide-body Airbus-330 and Boeing-777 series.

EK 719 departs Dubai International Airport every day at 1045hrs and arrives at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 1445hrs. The return flight, EK720, leaves JKIA at 1640hrs and lands in Dubai at 1040hrs.  Second flight EK 721 departs Dubai International Airport every day at 1505hrs and arrives at JKIA at 1905hrs. The return flight, EK722, leaves JKIA at 2250hrs and lands in Dubai at 0450hrs.