Emirates’ flagship A380 aircraft has resumed flying between Manchester Airport and Dubai in response to growing passenger demand as restrictions on international travel ease.
The resumption of flights using the wide-body, double decker plane coincided with the 11th anniversary of the Emirates A380 service to the North-West. The first flight took arrived in Manchester at 12pm on 1st September, with the return service departing a 2.05pm and landing in Dubai shortly after midnight.
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, is currently offering daily flights to Manchester Airport, but by October expects its A380 aircraft to fly twice-daily between the Northern hub and Dubai.
Richard Jewsbury, Divisional Vice President at Emirates UK commented,
We’re incredibly pleased to see the return of A380 flights to and from Manchester, responding to increased passenger demand. In more than a decade of operating, millions of people from Manchester and further afield have enjoyed the unparalleled travel experience the A380 offers, and we look forward to welcoming more passengers back on board soon.”
In addition to increasing flights from Manchester, by the end of October, the airline will offer 77 weekly flights to the UK, including the six times daily London Heathrow operation, a ten weekly service to Birmingham, a daily service to Glasgow, and a four weekly service to Newcastle. The increase in operations will make it easier for UK customers to access Emirates’ growing global network of 120 destinations – close to 90% of Emirates’ pre-pandemic network.
Dubai resumed tourism activity in July 2021, following restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, and has secured a Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council, which endorses the city-state’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.
With the UAE having moved onto the UK’s ‘amber’ list for travel, travellers arriving in the UK from Dubai no longer need to self-isolate providing they have been fully vaccinated in the UK, EU or US. The latest travel requirements to the UK are available here.