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Emirates scored a double whammy as two of its A380 super jumbos jetted off from Dubai to the opposite ends of the globe, marking the aviation world’s first A380 commercial services to Bangkok and Toronto. The launch of Emirates’ A380 operations – daily to Bangkok and thrice weekly to Toronto – signals a new era of luxury air travel to Thailand and Canada, and represents yet another milestone in the airline’s A380 programme.
The A380 is the world’s only twin-deck airliner that has 35 per cent more seats than its closest rival. It is the most environmentally-advanced commercial aircraft in the sky today, offering better fuel economy than most hybrid passenger cars. The A380 burns up to 20 per cent less fuel per seat than today’s next largest aircraft, and is quieter, generating less than half the noise of other aircraft on takeoff.
Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline said: “Emirates is delighted to celebrate its inaugural A380 services to Thailand and Canada. The aircraft with its large capacity and excellent operating economies is a pillar of growth, both for the airline and the destination. In Thailand, the introduction of the super jumbo will support the local government’s multi-million dollar promotional drive to boost tourism arrivals from the high-yield Middle East region. At the same time the higher-capacity A380 will help address the strong demand for passenger and cargo services on the Dubai-Toronto route which is currently restricted by the bi-lateral agreement to three flights per week.”
Hailing the arrival of Emirates’ A380 as a positive development for Thailand’s tourism industry, Mr. Chaisak Angkasuwan, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Thailand said: “We are delighted Emirates selected Bangkok as the first Far East gateway for its revolutionary A380 product. Our current marketing and trade campaigns focus on promoting Thailand as an ideal holiday destination in the Middle East. Travellers from this region make multiple visits to Thailand, staying on an average nine days and spending over USD 500 million annually. We welcome the opportunity to partner with Emirates to grow the tourism potential from this region.”
Despite the current economic environment, the Middle East continues to deliver positive year-on-year growth of 5.7%. Tourist arrivals from the UAE alone rose by 99.46% for January 2009 compared to the same period last year.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
