Emirates will begin operating its A380 to Delhi from 25 October, making the Indian capital the third destination in the country served by the double-decker aircraft, joining Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The aircraft will fly as EK512/513 in a four-class configuration, sitting alongside three existing daily Delhi services operated by retrofitted Boeing 777s, also configured with four classes including Premium Economy.
The move means Premium Economy is now available across all Emirates flights between Dubai and Delhi. By the end of October, the cabin class will be offered at six Indian cities in total: Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Kochi.
Frequency across those routes adds up to four daily services from Delhi, 22 weekly from Mumbai, 12 weekly from Kolkata, nine weekly from Ahmedabad, seven weekly from Bengaluru and two weekly from Kochi.
Kolkata is also getting an upgrade. From October 25, the daily EK570/571 service will switch from a Boeing 777 to an A350, bringing Premium Economy to the route.
A second Kolkata service, EK572/573, runs five times weekly on a retrofitted four-class B777, meaning all 12 weekly Kolkata-Dubai flights will carry Premium Economy from that date.
“Emirates’ long-standing commitment to India is reflected in the continued rollout of our latest products, designed to enhance the travel experience. We are pleased to introduce our highly anticipated A380 services to Delhi, a vital gateway in our network, from October. Given the strong demand for travel to and from India, it is an honour to expand our A380 footprint in the country, with Delhi joining Mumbai and Bengaluru as our third A380 destination. We would like to thank the authorities for making this possible and value our continued partnership. We are also making our Premium Economy product more widely available across India to reach six gateways and close to half of our scheduled weekly flights. A host of other service enhancements are in the pipeline as a testament to our partnership with India and commitment to our customers,” Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said in a statement.
On the ground, Emirates has recently opened retail travel stores in Delhi and Mumbai, where customers can book in person with staff. Outlets in Hyderabad and Bengaluru are planned, alongside a dedicated call centre in Mumbai.
Emirates currently serves nine Indian gateways, operating 167 weekly flights to Dubai with onward connections across a network of close to 140 destinations.
