Emirates plans to renew its fleet

Thailand remains a solid destination

Emirates says Thailand has become one of its strongest routes in the Far East market, although the airline has no plans to establish new connections between Dubai and cities other than Bangkok and Phuket.

The airline also announced that it plans to begin phasing out large-body A380 aircraft from its fleet in 2032.

Bangkok is a profitable location for Emirates as it is a leading leisure destination for visitors from around the world, said Orhan Abbas, senior vice president of Emirates Far East commercial operations.

Emirates operates 35 weekly flights to Bangkok, four of which are served by A380s. The airline also operates 14 weekly flights to Phuket.

In 2023, the leading markets in terms of passengers on both routes are the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, China, India and the United Kingdom.

The airline has no plans to fly to new destinations in Thailand, instead opting to use codeshare partnerships with other airlines.

For example, Emirates partnered with Bangkok Airways to transport its passengers to Koh Samui, he said.

“We have wide-body A380 aircraft, which can only land at certain airports or big cities that have high demand,” Abbas said.

As of June 6, Emirates had 249 passenger aircraft, including 116 A380s and 133 Boeing 777s, which are the two widest-body aircraft models.

The airline ordered the delivery of 50 A350-900 aircraft, 115 Boeing 777-X and 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

As Airbus has already stopped production of the A380, he said, by 2032, Emirates aims to operate an entirely new fleet as it phases out the A380s.

Abbas said the plan aims to ensure customers understand that the airline operates a young and modern widebody fleet, while offering quality products and services.

In terms of overall flight capacity on Far East routes, approximately 90% of routes in major markets have resumed, including China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore.

During the summer, a load factor of approximately 80% was recorded in 140 destinations around the world, he said.

The airline is targeting a full recovery in capacity next year, driven by a strong outlook for the aviation sector.

As the Dubai Economic Agenda aims to double the size of the city’s economy by 2033, both the aviation industry and the Emirates will play a role in meeting that goal, supporting Dubai’s trade and tourism, he said. Abbas.

Emirates recently invested $2 billion in a modernization program to add premium economy seats to the airline’s A380 and 777 aircraft.

The premium economy packages are available on 11 routes worldwide, and are expected to increase to 15 routes by the end of this year, including Singapore and Tokyo, it said.

Emirates serves its passengers fresh and leafy green plants, which are grown at Bustanica, the world’s largest vertical farm in Dubai.

This farm was set up as a joint venture between Emirates Flight Catering and Crop One last year, Abbas said.