Emirates will be operating a one-off A380 service to Muscat International Airport on July 1.

This special flight is part of the airline’s celebration of its 25th year of service to Oman this year, and also re-affirms the newly opened airport infrastructure to handle A380 operations. The new passenger terminal at Oman International Airport recently opened its doors in March.

The Emirates A380 service will operate as EK 862 and EK 863, departing Dubai at 0825hrs and arriving in Muscat at 0935hrs. The flight will depart Muscat at 1205hrs arriving in Dubai at 1310hrs on the same day.

Khalid Bel Jaflah, divisional vice president commercial operations UAE and Oman, Emirates, said: “We are proud to fly the first scheduled A380 service to Muscat as Emirates marks a significant milestone of 25 years of service to Oman. It is a very important destination for us in the region and we maintain our strong commitment to the country. We look forward to showcasing our innovative products and stylish amenities onboard this iconic aircraft to our trade partners and travel industry stakeholders in Oman.”  

David Wilson, chief operations officer, Oman Airports, said: “On behalf of Muscat International Airport, we thank Emirates Airline and express our appreciation for the upcoming historic arrival of a scheduled A380 service to Oman. The arrival of the aircraft will be a valuable initiative which will highlight our new international airport terminal and we look forward to celebrating our long-standing commitment with Emirates Airline.”

In 1993, Emirates inaugurated its first service to Muscat and since then, has carried more than 4.3 million passengers to and from Oman. The airline started operating with a Boeing 777-200 aircraft with a four weekly service. Today, the airline flies to Muscat with three daily services utilising Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, connecting passengers to over 150 global destinations.

The Emirates A380 flying to Muscat will be set in a three-class configuration, with 429 seats in Economy Class on the lower deck, 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites on the upper deck.

Emirates passengers travelling in all classes will enjoy the airline’s award-winning in-flight entertainment system, ice, offering up to 3,500 channels of shows, music and other programming. Passengers in all classes will also enjoy up 20MB complimentary onboard wi-fi, as well as regionally inspired meals onboard prepared by award-winning chefs.

Emirates is the largest operator of A380 aircraft. The airline currently has 103 A380s in service and 59 pending delivery flying to almost 50 destinations. - TradeArabia News Service