DUBAI - Following the launch of the Barcelona service in July 2012, Emirates today announced it will start a daily Airbus A380 service to the Spanish destination from 1st February 2014.
Increasing overall capacity by almost 44 percent, Emirates’ new 517 seat A380 service will be the first permanent A380 service to operate into Barcelona El Prat Airport, replacing the route’s existing Boeing 777-300ER service and offering 2,198 additional seats per week between the two cities.
Hubert Frach, Emirates divisional senior vice president, commercial operations West, said: “Barcelona has been one of the most successful new destinations of 2012.
“In line with this steady growth we feel that the time is ripe to announce the launch of our A380 service, which will continue to connect customers in Spain with Dubai as well as key destinations in Australasia, the Indian Subcontinent and the Far East.
“The A380 has been a part of our fleet for almost five years and continues to peak customer interest wherever it flies. Introducing the A380 to Barcelona permanently will not only increase our capacity but will also further highlight our commitment to the city.”
The new capacity will offer support for popular markets from Barcelona, with the Emirates A380 servicing 12 destinations in Australia and the Far and Middle East.
Since launching its inaugural flight to Barcelona last year Emirates has further committed to a five year sponsorship of the Barcelona Open Tennis Tournament earlier this year.
The Emirates A380 currently serves a total of 21 destinations with a further four destinations to launch in the next six months including Brisbane on 1st October, Los Angeles on 2nd December, Mauritius on 16th December and Zurich on 1st January 2014.