Emirates will bring its flagship A380 to Delhi from 25 October. The Indian capital becomes the airline’s third A380 gateway in the country. The move comes alongside a wider Premium Economy rollout across six Indian cities. Emirates confirmed the plans in a statement from Dubai on 9 July, calling it part of its long-standing commitment to India.
The A380 will operate flights EK512 and EK513, both in a four-class configuration. Emirates’ retrofitted Boeing 777s, also four-class, will cover the route’s three other daily services. Premium Economy will now be available on every Dubai-Delhi flight, making it the latest route to carry the cabin.
Premium Economy Reaches Six Indian Gateways
Emirates’ Premium Economy cabin features cream-leather seats, generous legroom and recline, and dining served on chinaware. By the end of October, it will be available on flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Kochi.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ deputy president and chief commercial officer, said demand from India remained strong. He called Delhi’s addition, alongside Mumbai and Bengaluru, “an honour” for the airline’s A380 network in the country.
“We are also making our Premium Economy product more widely available across India,” Kazim said. He added that the cabin would now serve six gateways and nearly half of the airline’s scheduled weekly flights. Further enhancements, he said, are already in the pipeline.
Photo Courtesy: Emirates
Kolkata Gains A350 Service
From 25 October, Emirates’ daily Kolkata-Dubai service, EK570/571, moves from a Boeing 777 to the airline’s A350. This brings Premium Economy to the route for the first time.
A second daily service, EK572/573, will continue to operate five times weekly on a four-class retrofitted 777. Together, the two services will offer Premium Economy across all 12 weekly Kolkata-Dubai flights.
Once complete, the rollout will cover four daily services from Delhi, 22 weekly from Mumbai, nine weekly from Ahmedabad, seven weekly from Bengaluru, two weekly from Kochi and 12 weekly from Kolkata.
Ground and Onboard Enhancements
Emirates Retail Stores. Photo Courtesy: Emirates
Emirates has been expanding its on-the-ground presence in India as well. The airline recently opened retail travel stores in Delhi and Mumbai. Stores in Hyderabad and Bengaluru are next, along with a dedicated call centre in Mumbai.
Onboard, passengers across Emirates’ nine Indian gateways can choose from regionally inspired menus. Cabin crew on Indian routes speak Hindi and select regional languages. The airline’s inflight entertainment system carries more than 6,500 channels, including Bollywood titles in Hindi as well as content in Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati and Kannada.
Emirates currently serves nine gateways across India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. The airline operates 167 weekly flights to Dubai, connecting onward to a network of close to 140 destinations. emirates.com
