When 150 And 50 Adds Up To 380

News Release, 4 May 2011

When 150 And 50 Adds Up To 380

Emirates is sending one of its popular A380 aircraft to Rome to mark Fiumicino airport's 50th anniversary, along with 150 years of Italian unification.

On June 6 the superjumbo replaces a Boeing 777-300 on flights EK 97 and EK 98 - departing Dubai at 8.55am and arriving in Rome at 1.15pm (local time). The flight leaves Fiumicino at 4.45pm and arrives in Dubai at 00.35am the next day (local time).

The one-off trip gives passengers travelling to and from Rome an opportunity to fly on the world's most talked about airliner. Emirates added the first A380 to its fleet in 2008 and has been flying the super-jumbo into Auckland since February 2009.

Flying into Rome on the back of the UN's World Environment Day (June 5), the super-efficient A380 has impeccable environmental credentials.
The double decker is the most significant advancement in reducing aviation fuel consumption and emissions in four decades. Its Engine Alliance GP7200 engines are remarkably quiet and easily meet the strict new ICAO Stage Four noise level standards.

First Class passengers have access to two onboard shower spas, while all premium passengers on the upper deck can socialise at 43,000 feet in the onboard lounge. Beverages are served once the aircraft reaches cruising altitude - all the way until descent.

“June 6 will be an extraordinary day, a further confirmation of the successful relationship between Emirates and Aeroporti di Roma," said Elia Pistola, ADR Executive Vice President - Aviation.

"This will be the first A380 arrival in Rome and we are going to celebrate it as the first Italian airport able to welcome an A380 flight with the full operational infrastructure. The new dedicated loading bridge is a strategic investment for Rome Leonardo da Vinci airport as the A380 is the best aircraft to cover major and growing markets, as served by Emirates via Dubai," said Mr Pistola.

Emirates has been flying to Rome since 1992 and later added services to Milan and Venice - making a total of 35 flights a week to Italy. Passenger traffic on Emirates’ Italian routes has more than tripled since 2006, to over 900,000 passengers in 2010.

This is the second time the flagship of the Emirates' fleet has visited Italy. In July of last year, the A380 was sent to Milan for the unveiling of the new Fly Emirates AC Milan shirt in the presence of VIPs including His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, and Adriano Galliani, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of AC Milan.

Emirates currently flies to a total of 111 destinations across six continents with a fleet of 152 aircraft including 15 Airbus A380s. New services for 2011 include Basra, Geneva and Copenhagen, while Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires will come on line on January 3, 2012.

Emirates A380 environmental facts:

• The Emirates A380 burns up to 20% less fuel per seat than its nearest competitor.

• Lower fuel burn means lower CO2 emissions. The A380 produces less than 75g of CO2 per passenger kilometre, almost half of the European emissions target for cars manufactured from 2008 onwards.

• The A380 uses a range of lightweight materials that account for 25% of its structure.

• The Engine Alliance GP7200 engines comfortably meet the strict new ICAO Stage Four noise level standards.

• Emirates fleet, including the A380s, has 30% better fuel efficiency than the ICAO global fleet average.

• Larger aircraft mean fewer takeoff and landings (in passenger terms, this would be the equivalent of flying up to seven smaller aircraft types, for certain versions of the Emirates A380).

• Emirates continues to work closely with Airbus to further reduce weight of future A380s.

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