Good news for passengers intending to take the kangaroo route to and from Sydney, Australia this winter.
From the end of October, Emirates says it will reinstate flights EK414 and EK415 which were temporarily suspended last year because the rostered plane at that time (a B777-200LR) was being redeployed.
Timings of these particular flights afford great connections for passengers flying between the UK, mainland Europe and Sydney. They offer one of the speediest ways to access Down Under, and rival or beat the fastest schedules set by the likes of British Airways, Qantas, SIA and Virgin Atlantic.
EK414 and EK415 are now rostered for a B777-300ER. This larger aircraft has suites in first class and angled lie-flat beds in business class. This plane type also offers ICE digital widescreen (1200 plus channels of on-demand entertainment) throughout.
Flight EK414 will depart Dubai at 0140 to offer a same day arrival into Sydney at 2230 which is at a time when the international arrivals’ terminal is quiet. This flight links with Emirates’ lunch time departures from all of the UK and mainland Europe.
Return flight EK415 leaves Sydney at 0600, reaches Dubai the same day at 1330 which then links into the mid-afternoon bank of continuing services to the UK and mainland Europe.
If there is a minus point it is Sydney airport’s strict night time curfew. It means that if EK414 is running more than a couple of hours late it may not be granted permission to land [at Sydney] so will have to divert. Likewise the curfew means the plane operating EK415 must stay on the ground in Sydney all night. It cannot leave before 0600, a time considered unfashionably early by Sydneysiders taking long distance flights.
So why cannot Emirates delay EK415’s departure for a couple of hours? It seems logical until you remember that EK415 would then miss the wave of connecting flights at Dubai.
But if EK415 is inconvenient then opt for one of Emirates’ two evening departures (EK419 at 1945 operated by a B777-300ER, EK413 at 2145 operated by an A380) out of Sydney instead.
For more information visit emirates.com.
Report by Alex McWhirter
