Emirates has launched its first non-stop service between Dubai and Auckland.
As reported in January, 2016 (see news), the service will be with a B777-200LR aircraft carrying up to 266 passengers in three classes: eight First Class suites, 42 lie-flat Business Class seats and 216 comfortable Economy Class seats.
To celebrate the inaugural flight, however, the first service was operated with a double-decker A380.
Emirates expects the new service to have an estimated flight time of just under 16 hours from Dubai to New Zealand and 17 hours, 15 minutes in the other direction, cutting journey times by almost three hours each way when compared with the stopping service.
Emirates now offers the option of travelling to Auckland with a stopover in Australia on one Emirates’ three daily A380 services, flying non-stop direct into Auckland on the B777-200LR, or flying to the South Island on the daily B777-300ER Christchurch service.
Four Emirates A380 aircraft lined up at Auckland Airport
“This is an important development for our customers, for Emirates, and for New Zealand. We anticipate high demand for the route, providing a further boost to inbound tourist traffic into New Zealand that now exceeds three million a year. We also expect the service to be popular with New Zealanders seeking faster connections to Europe and the Middle East,” said Gary Chapman, President Group Services & dnata, Emirates Group.
With the introduction of the non-stop service, Emirates will fly more than 2,000 seats a day in each direction on New Zealand services.
Emirates says that other features of the new service flight include
- No Australian transit visa for travellers from many countries – benefitting tourism and travel both ways
- Good departure time from Auckland that will allow a full day’s business to be completed before travel
- Convenient arrival and departure times at Auckland that will mean excellent connections in each direction with partner Jetstar’s regional NZ domestic flights
- Excellent economic benefits for Zealand – estimated to contribute an extra NZ$125 million a year to the economy, in addition to the economic benefit derived from Emirates’ existing four daily services to New Zealand.
