Emirates tops world for First Class, Business capacity

Tuesday, 5 August 2014 00:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Emirates Airline is the number one airline for premium capacity measured in international available seat kilometres (ASKMs), clocking 876 million ASKMs per week, according to flights data firm OAG. OAG said the popularity of the Dubai-based airline’s Business and First Class cabins is primarily due to the long haul nature of Emirates fleet deployment. Earlier this month, the airline received delivery of its 50th A380, configured with 90 First and Business Class seats, further adding to Emirates’ average weekly capacity of over 191,000 premium seats.

Emirates Airline president Tim Clark said: “When we signed up for the A380, we had a clear vision for how we would deploy these aircraft. At the same time, we also saw a tremendous opportunity to take the flying experience to whole new levels. “We took a bit of a gamble pulling out rows in Business Class to put in the Onboard Lounge, we pushed the envelope to bring the first showers onto a commercial flight, and we made sure our inflight entertainment system in all classes offered unparalleled choice and quality. These efforts have paid off, and our customers love flying the A380.” Over 27.5 million passengers have flown on Emirates’ A380s since 2008, with premium and overall seat factors on the A380 fleet consistently outperforming the network. Globally, Emirates’ First Class capacity grew by six% over the last year, while First Class passenger traffic increased by eight%. Across the network, First Class demand is strong, particularly on routes to Europe, Africa and the Middle East, recording consistently high load factors of over 70%. Emirates is in the advanced stages of developing a new First Class ‘bedroom concept’ for its A380 and new Boeing 777 fleets. Customers can expect fully enclosed rooms and all the touches and amenities common to luxury hotels and yachts, including room service. Emirates operates the world’s largest fleet of A380s, with 50 in service, and another 90 pending delivery. It also operates the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 777s with 139 in service and another 205 on its order books.