A double debut for the double-decker: Emirates launches two daily A380 flights to Muscat

DUBAI, UAE 2 July 2019: Emirates is giving travellers to and from Oman more choice, comfort and luxury with the first arrivals of its double daily A380 services to Muscat. Flights EK 862 and EK 864 were each welcomed with water cannon salutes upon arrival, ushering in the new services to Oman’s capital, Muscat.

Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Centre, said: “The incredibly popular Emirates A380 has arrived in Oman and we are pleased to give our customers travelling between Muscat and Dubai the opportunity to experience the iconic products and services on this aircraft. This move is the latest in Emirates’ efforts to offer a well-defined range of experiences for our customers travelling for business or leisure from Oman. We have been committed to serving the Omani market for over 26 years, and in the spirit of continuing our growth with the introduction of the A380, we are providing customers more comfort and convenience as they make their journey to Dubai and beyond.”

Sheikh Ayman Bin Ahmed Al Hosni, CEO of Oman Airports, said: “We at Oman Airports are proud of Muscat International Airport which became the embodiment of the hospitality and warmth of the Sultanate of Oman. Since its opening, the airport has gained wide international recognition and won many international awards for its unique architecture that reflects the traditional Omani character with state-of-the-art technical specifications that enable it to offer an exceptional experience to the passengers traveling through “the Gate of Opportunities and Beauty”, in addition to its distinct operational standards that meet the requirements of international airlines.

Once again, we are pleased, at Oman Airports, to welcome the launch of Emirates A380 flights, which comes one year after the first one-off A380 flight that marked 25 years of operations between Muscat International Airport and Emirates. The introduction of the daily A380 flights from and to Muscat is a tribute to the efforts of our strategic partner, Emirates Airline. It also means enhanced travel options and prestigious services to the airport users and passengers traveling through Muscat International Airport, as well as to those flying directly from Dubai to Muscat.”

Shortest A380 flight fun facts

The Muscat A380 flights will fly approximately 340 kilometres each way, making them the shortest A380 flights in the world. That is also shorter than the internal wiring of the A380, which when stretched from end to end reaches a distance of over 500km.

The double daily A380 operations underscore Muscat International Airport’s modern infrastructure and readiness to handle aircraft operations. Over 4.7 million passengers have flown on Emirates between Muscat and Dubai since 1993, equal to the capacity of more than 9,000 Emirates A380s.

Both A380s flying to Muscat will be operated in a three-class configuration, with 429 seats in Economy Class on the lower deck, and 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites on the upper deck.

Passengers travelling across all three classes will enjoy the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice. With over 1,500 films across all genres to enjoy on ice, customers will have to fly over 3,000 times between Dubai and Muscat on the Emirates A380 to watch the complete ice film catalogue.

Over 25,000 catering items are loaded on the Emirates A380 for services between Dubai and Muscat, ensuring that customers can enjoy and savour the meals and amenities onboard.

The flight time between Dubai and Muscat, approximately 40 minutes, is 5 minutes longer than the time taken to clean an A380 by a team of 42 people. The twice daily A380 services operate on EK 862/863 and EK 864/865. EK862 departs Dubai at 0825hrs, arriving in Muscat at 0940hrs. The return flight, EK 863, departs Muscat at 1115hrs, arriving in Dubai in the afternoon at 1225hrs. Emirates’ late afternoon flight EK 864 departs Dubai at 1610hrs and arrives in Muscat at 1725hrs. EK 865 departs Muscat at 1905hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2015hrs. Along with the A380 services, EK 866/867, the early morning flight, is operated with Emirates’ modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Emirates has carried over 150,000 tonnes of cargo between Muscat and Dubai since 2008, which is more than the weight of 260 A380s when each aircraft is at its maximum weight.

Emirates operates three daily services between Dubai and Muscat, connecting passengers to over 150 global destinations in the Far East, Europe and the US. The airline is the world’s largest operator of the A380, with 111 double-decker aircraft flying to 57 cities from Dubai.

*Flight timings will vary slightly during the winter schedule starting in late October.