Emirates’ A380 makes twin touchdowns in Los Angeles and Vienna

Emirates has launched its second daily A380 service from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), touching down just shortly after 8:00pm local time on 1 July. With this expanded schedule, Emirates is now able to serve nearly 1,000 passengers travelling to Los Angeles each day. Also on the same day Vienna joined the family of A380 scheduled destinations served by an Emirates A380.

The Emirates A380 aircraft was decked out in specially-designed Dodgers branding to celebrate its expanded service to Los Angeles, as well as the airline’s sponsorship of the Los Angeles Dodgers. This sponsorship in conjunction with the second daily flight to Los Angeles, emphasizes Emirates’ commitment to sports, culture and the Southern California region.

The new flight EK217, operated by an Airbus A380-800 aircraft, is configured for 3 cabin classes with 14 private suites in First class, 76 seats in Business class and 401 seats in Economy class.

“We’re thrilled to continue growing our footprint in Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, and to be able to provide more flight choices to more customers daily as well as doubling the economic benefits Emirates’ flights provide to Southern California,” said Rob Gurney Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, The Americas. “We strive to give our customers the best possible travel experience every step of the way through our award-winning service and industry-leading products.”

In addition to serving those visiting or traveling to Los Angeles, passengers wishing to travel beyond LA to nearby destinations in the U.S. can take advantage of its partnerships with Virgin America and Alaska Airlines. For example, through Alaska Airlines, passengers can connect from LAX to cities such as Eugene, Mammoth Lakes, Monterey, Portland, Santa Rosa, and Guadalajara. Through Virgin America, passengers can travel onwards to Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale, Cancun and more.

The new Emirates flight EK217, departs Dubai daily at 3:00 p.m. and arrives in Los Angeles at 8:00 p.m. The return flight EK218, departs Los Angeles daily at 10:30 p.m. and arrives in Dubai approximately 16 hours later at 1:30 a.m. This new service supplements the current EK215 Airbus A380-800 flight which departs Dubai at 8:55 a.m. and lands in Los Angeles at 1:55 p.m. The existing return flight, EK216, departs LAX 4:45 p.m. and arrives in Dubai 7:35 p.m. the following day.

More choices and shorter connection times

With the addition of this second daily flight, passengers travelling to Los Angeles via Dubai from cities such as Basra, Tehran, Kuwait, Dhaka, Karachi, Sialkot, Delhi, Kolkata, Kochi, Colombo, and Seychelles as well as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok will experience improved connectivity. Passengers travelling from Los Angeles via Dubai to Lahore, Peshawar, Mumbai, Chennai, Trivandrum, Ahmedabad, Colombo, Cape Town and Mauritius, as well as Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong will also experience more choices and shorter connection times.

Beyond summer and holiday travel surges, the new service will cater to the growing business traveler demographic. By departing at night, EK217 allows for a full day of business, meetings and exploration in Los Angeles before traveling. With world-renowned industries in entertainment, aerospace, technology, media, fashion, science and more, the international business community will be well-served by having additional travel options from around the world.

The added daily flight will support the transport of even more exports from Los Angeles and the greater Southern California area, helping to stimulate the local economy and grow small businesses that would otherwise not have the option to sell into international marketplaces. Currently, aside from bellyhold capacity from its passenger services, Emirates also operates two Boeing 777-200F freighters each week to LAX.

A380 touches down in Vienna

Also on 1 July, Vienna joined the family of A380 scheduled destinations served by an Emirates A380. Emirates is the first and only airline to operate an A380 into the Austrian capital. The first ever scheduled A380 flight from Dubai to Vienna landed at 12:55 local time on Friday 1 July and was greeted by traditional water cannon salutes. Vienna is the 41st A380 destination within the Emirates global network.

Emirates currently offers double daily flights from Vienna to the international hub in Dubai. Now, the rotation EK127/EK128 is deployed by an Airbus A380 in a three-class configuration with 14 private suites in First, 76 lie-flat seats in Business and 429 spacious seats in Economy. The second daily flight (EK125/EK126) will remain being operated by a Boeing 777-300ER with a seating capacity of 360.

Emirates has served the Vienna-Dubai route since 2004 and since then has carried almost three million passengers on its double daily service.

Wake up to flying as it should be

Passengers onboard Emirates’ flagship A380 aircraft will enjoy over 2,500 channels of on-demand entertainment ranging from films, TV shows, music, games, podcasts and live sports through ice, the airline’s multi-award winning in-flight entertainment system. Onboard passengers also experience regionally inspired gourmet cuisine and Emirates’ renowned inflight service from the airline’s multi-national cabin crew comprised of over 135 nationalities. The Emirates A380 aircraft features Emirates flat-bed seats in First Class and Business Class and those in premium seating can enjoy Emirates Onboard Lounge. First Class passengers can unwind in their very own Private Suite and arrive refreshed at their destination following a visit to the Emirates A380 Shower Spa. First Class and Business Class passengers can travel to and from the airport with the convenience of Emirates’ complimentary Chauffeur-drive service as well as enjoy Emirates exclusive lounge.

Take a 360-video " tour of the A380

Before boarding, passengers can take a 360-video tour of the A380 flight deck along with taking a virtual walk through the Emirates A380, as it appears on Google Street View.