Quality-obsessed Swiss travellers will be delighted to know that Emirates is about to bring its A380 into Zurich.
From January 1 next year, Emirates will follow SIA to become the second major carrier to operate the superjumbo out of Switzerland.
Currently, Emirates operates twice daily flights between Zurich and Dubai. Both are scheduled for a B777-300ER.
But from January 1, the inbound morning flight from Dubai, EK087 (depart Dubai at 0825, arrive Zurich at 1220) will be upgraded to a 507-seat A380. The same plane returns from Zurich in the afternoon as EK088 (depart Zurich 1435, arrive Dubai at 2340).
Emirates' second daily flight on the route remains rostered for a B777-300ER.
All told, Emirates will be adding an extra 1,100 one-way seats every week to the Swiss market.
"The Emirates A380 will seamlessly connect Swiss travellers through the Dubai hub to our dynamically growing network, providing connectivity to global hubs in Asia and Australia such as Bangkok, Sydney and Singapore," said Thierry Antinori, Emirates VP passenger sales worldwide. "These markets which are postioned as economic and tourism centres, are served with multiple daily flights [from Dubai]."
According to Emirates, trade between the UAE and Switzerland is currently worth US$9 billion. Over 169 Swiss companies operate in Dubai.
Emirates is the world's largest A380 operator. It has 34 of these superjumbos in its fleet with a further 56 on order.
Typical accommodation would comprise 14 suites in first, 76 lie-flat seats in business and 427 seats in economy class.
Swiss, the only other carrier plying the Zurich-Dubai route, operates daily with an A330-300 boasting up-to-date premium seating.
For more information, visit emirates.com.
Report by Alex McWhirter
