March 28, 2023
JAKARTA – Emirates, the world’s largest operator of Airbus A380 super jumbo jets, announced on Friday that it would deploy its signature double-decker aircraft to Bali on the first A380-operated route to Indonesia starting on June 1.
Emirates’ A380 offers a two-class cabin consisting of 58 lie-flat Business Class seats and 557 generously pitched Economy class seats, the United Arab Emirates flag carrier said in a statement.
The airline said the super jumbo jet would replace one of two daily flights to Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport currently operated by Boeing 777-300ERs with a two-class cabin configuration.
The inaugural A380 flight, number EK368, is set to leave Emirates’ hub Dubai International Airport at 3:25 a.m. on June 1 local time and arrive at Ngurah Rai airport at 4:35 p.m. on June 1, Central Indonesia Time. The aircraft then serves the Ngurah Rai-Dubai route as flight EK369, departing Bali at 7:40 p.m. and arriving in Dubai at 12:45 am.
“The Emirates A380 is synonymous with our ‘fly better’ promise and world-class products and services, and we’re excited to offer our travelers the opportunity to experience its uniqueness and unmatched beauty on flights to and from Bali,” Emirates chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim said in the statement.
Kazim maintained that Bali continued to be one of the most popular destinations in the airline’s network and was among the strategic markets in Southeast Asia. He added that Emirates’ debut A380 service in Indonesia underscored its long-standing commitment to the country’s travel and tourism industry.
Meanwhile, Emirates Indonesia country manager Mohammad Al Attar said the airliner’s first A380 flight to Bali was a historical milestone for Indonesia that its customers eagerly anticipated.
“We hope that by collaborating with our partners, we can continue to provide our customers easier access to Emirates’ global network,” he said in a statement.
Faik Fahmi, president director of PT Angkasa Pura I, echoed Al Attar, saying the scheduled Emirates flight to Indonesia operated by an A380 aircraft was a historic moment for Indonesian aviation as well as the state-owned airport operator.
“We welcome the Emirates A380 service, which will operate in early June, and are honored to be the first airport operator to serve regular commercial flights of the aircraft in the country,” he was quoted as saying in the same statement.
“We hope the A380 [service] in Indonesia, especially Bali, will have an increasingly positive impact on the tourism sector and the economy, and will allow more opportunities for cooperation and investment in other sectors of the industry in Indonesia,” Faik said.
Ngurah Rai airport’s general manager, Handy Heryudhitiawan, said the airport and all stakeholders were ready to welcome Emirates’ inaugural A380 flight.
Handy said the airport had prepared the necessary facilities and made specific adjustments for the A380’s arrival, including adjusting the apron so the aircraft could park, as well as some changes to the passenger waiting room.
Emirates launched its nonstop daily service from Dubai to Denpasar in 2015, adding to its scheduled flights to Jakarta that began in 1992. The airline has operated more than 49,000 flights to date between Indonesia and the UAE, transporting more than 9 million passengers.
Emirates currently serves 28 weekly flights to Denpasar and Jakarta, and has expanded its connectivity to 29 other cities via the two gateways through its partnership agreements with flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and privately owned Batik Air.
The airline added that it would study the demand at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport before deciding whether to also deploy its A380 service for Jakarta. (nvn)