Emirates Airline has announced that it is going to launch its A380 super-jumbo flights to Paris one month earlier than planned.
The airline had previously said that Airbus' jumbo-jet would head to Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport from February 1 next year, but an operational review, coupled with demand on the route, has led to an earlier introduction on December 29, the carrier said.
"Our forward carryings out of France are extremely strong.
Coupled with the earlier aircraft availability on that route, it means we can provide passengers with the experience of flying this highly popular aircraft between Dubai and Paris much sooner than originally anticipated," said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates' senior vice president of commer-cial operations for Europe and the Russian Federation.
The 489-seat plane will be incorporated into Emirates' double daily flights to Paris. It will initially service three of the morning departures from Dubai, becoming daily from January 17.
Earlier this month, Emirates announced a net profit of dhs752 million ($205 million) for the first six months of this year.
The figure indicated the resilience of the Middle Eastern carriers in the face of the global recession in comparison to their US and European counterparts.
Middle Eastern airlines have continued to register profits and growth in the economic crisis, while big name Western carriers such as British Airways and Delta have struggled.
However, there are signs of recovery for Western airlines.
On Friday, the A380 made its first flight for a European carrier, also from Paris.
Air France flew its super-jumbo to New York marking the first flight under a European carrier and the first transatlantic flight of Airbus' aircraft.
© 7Days 2009
