KUWAIT: Emirates staff pose for a group picture in front of the Emirates A380 at the Kuwait aviation show in Kuwait yesterday. - Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: The Emirates A380 is ready to draw in thousands of visitors today at this year's edition of the Kuwait Aviation Show 2020. The A380 on display today carries the distinctive Expo 2020 blue 'mobility' decal and will be open to both trade visitors and the general public, allowing them a glimpse into the largest commercial passenger aircraft in the world.

The Emirates A380 on display features 14 luxurious First Class Suites, 76 flatbed seats in Business Class, and 429 generously pitched seats in Economy Class. The aircraft will also feature the newly refreshed OnBoard Lounge.

Emirates is the largest operator of the A380 with 115 in its fleet flying to 53 destinations. Over 143 million passengers have flown the Emirates A380 since it commenced operations in 2008. The A380 fleet has also flown over 163,000 round trips and has travelled over 2.2 billion km. Emirates has been operating to Kuwait since 1989 and today serves the destination with 6 daily flights.

During a media tour of the Emirates A380 at the aviation show yesterday, Adil Al-Ghaith, Senior Vice President, Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia, said this aircraft is not new for them. Emirates received the first aircraft in 2008. "We are the largest operator of this aircraft. It's one of the largest aircrafts in the world and consists of two decks - the lower floor is the economy class, while the upper floor is the business and first class," he explained.

This A380 is a special aircraft for the Emirates. "There are 14 A380 aircraft orders remaining, which we are expected to receive during the coming years. We have new orders for the 777X and A350, which we announced previously, and others. We have a long plan for 15 years and we exactly know the expected size of the Emirates fleet and the expected models," stressed Ghaith.

The company's strategy is based on market demands. "We know Airbus decided to stop manufacturing the A380, so different airlines will decide what will be the alternative model. The top management of the Emirates decided that there are some suitable models that can be part of our fleet in the future," he added.

"We always have new additions to our schedule. We are currently satisfied with the presently operating flights to the GCC and Middle East. During travel seasons, we add more flights to offer seats according to the high demand. This aircraft flies to airports that are equipped for it. This aircraft is highly demanded by passengers in all the destinations to which it flies. Just recently, we announced launching new destinations - Barcelona, Mexico City, and new cities that will be announced later," he pointed out.

"Competition is healthy, and it's one of the reasons behind our success. Dubai airport recently announced that 89 million passengers used the airport last year, and the biggest percentage of this figure goes to Emirates," concluded Ghaith.