Emirates, the leading international airline of the UAE, will mark 25 years of its service to London Gatwick with the launch of the airport’s first Airbus A380 service on July 6.

The A380 will operate one of Emirates’ three daily flights to Gatwick, enabling passengers to experience the world-renowned amenities on board. These include the world’s first onboard shower spas in First Class, an onboard lounge for First and Business Class passengers and an in-flight entertainment system throughout the aircraft with over 1300 channels on demand.

Emirates first flew to the UK on July 6, 1987 with a daily service to Gatwick. Today, the airline offers 16 daily flights from UK airports to Dubai where passengers can connect to a network of over 120 destinations worldwide.

“Emirates has changed the face of UK air travel since we took off from Gatwick 25 years ago,” said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ senior vice president, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation.

“Since that time, millions of travellers have flown with us from our six UK departure points to Dubai and beyond.”

“As our network has grown, we have not only introduced new overseas destinations to UK travellers, but have also helped to build trade links for the UK with markets across the globe. We have contributed to the UK economy through job creation, inbound tourism and cargo exports,” Obaidalla added.

“The arrival of a scheduled Emirates A380 flight from Dubai for the first time at Gatwick is a double celebration,” said Guy Stephenson, Gatwick Airport’s chief commercial officer.

“It marks the 25 years that Emirates have been operating in the UK, with Gatwick being their first airport. It is also the first time that Gatwick has welcomed a scheduled A380 flight - a huge achievement for the airport.”

On July 6, EK 015 will leave Dubai at 0800hrs and arrive in Gatwick at 1230hrs. EK016 that day will depart Gatwick at 1530, landing in Dubai at 0130hrs the next day. – TradeArabia News Service