Emirates to land first-ever A380 aircraft in Colombo on Aug.14
View(s):Emirates’ A380 aircraft will make a one-off landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, on August 14, the first airline to land this wide-body aircraft at the airport’s resurfaced runway.
The special flight will be the first A380 aircraft to disembark passengers in Sri Lanka after completing a commercial service. The one-off A380 aircraft will arrive at 16:10 hours and be on ground for more than six hours before it returns to Dubai as flight EK655 departing at 22:10 hours, enabling airport executives, VIPs, trade partners and media to enjoy a guided static tour of the double-decker aircraft, the airline said in a media release.
“Colombo has welcomed us from the day Emirates commenced daily flights from Dubai in 1986, just a year after the airline launched its operations. We are honoured to work alongside the city, airport, and the Sri Lankan Civil Aviation authorities, to bring our flagship A380 to this vibrant destination. For BIA and for aviation enthusiasts in Sri Lanka, this will certainly be a special day and we look forward to showcasing our unique on board products in this market,” said Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, West Asia and Indian Ocean. An A380 aircraft can carry 853 passengers (538 on the main deck and 315 on the upper),
Customers in Sri Lanka can experience Emirates’ double-decker aircraft by connecting through the airline’s Dubai hub to more than 45 A380 destinations. As the first and only airline in the world to operate a fleet of all Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft for its passenger flights, Emirates’ operating fleet remains modern and efficient while offering customers a high level of comfort. Since 2008, Emirates has flown over 80 million passengers on its A380 fleet, the release said.