The Emirates A380 touched down in Istanbul today, celebrating the start of daily scheduled flights from Dubai to Istanbul Airport. Today was also the first time that the iconic double-decker aircraft, featuring it’s four-class offering, landed in Istanbul. Emirates had announced that it would start daily A380 flights to Istanbul from 1 October.

The special flight, operating as EK123, was joined by a VIP delegation led by Mr Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President, International Affairs and Mr Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (Gulf Middle East and Central Asia).

Upon landing at 14:25hrs at Istanbul Airport, the Emirates delegation was welcomed by Istanbul Airport executives.

Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (Gulf Middle East and Central Asia) said: ”It is an honour for us to be here today to celebrate the first commercially operated A380 service to Istanbul. Emirates has been keen to bring the A380 to this fantastic new Istanbul Airport ever since it opened. We are delighted to finally see our flagship in this beautiful city as joins many other top destinations we currently serve with the A380. Turkey is a crucially important market for Emirates and Istanbul was one of the very first destinations we flew to in our early years. Since then, from 1987 to today, we have carried six million customers on more than 23,000 flights”.

“Bringing the A380 service to Turkey is a major milestone for Emirates. I would like to thank again the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation who have been hugely supportive in working with all the stakeholders to make today’s A380 touchdown in Istanbul a reality,” said Mr Ghaith

Emirates and Turkey have a long-standing relationship that spans over 30 years, when the airline’s first flight flew from Dubai to Istanbul on 31 July 1987. Emirates operates 17 flights a week to and from Turkey/Istanbul. Flights departing from Turkey are operated by B777-300ER and A380 aircraft, which feature Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment and the highest

level of comfort in all cabins. Emirates offers convenient connections through it’s hub Dubai to an extensive global network stretching across more than 120 destinations, across six continents including regions such as the Middle East, Far East, Australasia, Africa, Europe, North America, South America and South Asia.

Emirates operates the A380 on its daily EK123/124 service with total of 519 seats with 14 private suites in First Class, 76 mini pods with lie-flat seats in Business Class and 429 spacious seats in Economy Class, increasing capacity per flight by more than 150 passengers compared to the current Boeing 777-300ER.

First Class customers can look forward to Emirates’ private suites and signature onboard Shower Spa, while First and Business Class customers can relax in the popular Onboard Lounge on the upper deck. Passengers in all classes enjoy free Wi-Fi to stay in touch with family and friends, the industry’s largest seatback screens and Emirates’ multi-award winning ‘ice’ inflight entertainment which currently boasts over 4,500 channels.

Dubai and Expo 2020: Since it safely resumed tourism activity in July, Dubai remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, especially during the winter season. The city is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences. It was one of the world’s first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.

Dubai will host the world for Expo 2020 between October 2021 and March 2022. Through the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, Expo 2020 Dubai aims to inspire people by showcasing the best examples of collaboration, innovation and cooperation from around the world. Its six-month program is packed with experiences to suit all ages and interests, including a rich line-up of themed weeks, entertainment, and edutainment. Art and culture fans as well as food and technology enthusiasts can explore exhibits, workshops, performances, live shows and more.

Health and safety: Keeping the health and wellbeing of its passengers as top priority, Emirates has introduced a comprehensive set of safety measures at every step of the customer journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology and scaled up its digital verification capabilities to provide its customers even more opportunities to utilise the IATA Travel Pass, which can now be used across 50 airports served by Emirates.

Flexibility and Assurance: Emirates continues to lead the industry with innovative products and services and recently took its customer care initiatives further with even more generous and flexible booking policies, which have been extended to 31 May 2022. It has also extended its multi-risk insurance cover, and is helping loyal customers retain their miles and tier status.