Middle Eastern carrier Emirates will operate a special one-off A380 service to Bahrain tomorrow, December 15th. Normally serviced by a Boeing 777, the deployment of the superjumbo is to accommodate an increase in passenger demand ahead of the country’s 49th National Day celebrations.
National Day in Bahrain
According to Emirates, the deployment of the A380 is in response to high passenger demand during the National Day holidays in the Kingdom. The two Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries share significant economic and cultural ties.
Emirates celebrated its 20th anniversary in Bahrain this year, and since its first flight to the Kingdom, the airline has carried more than six million passengers between Bahrain and Dubai. The airline currently operates double daily flights to the Kingdom.
The Emirates A380 has been dispatched on these one-off missions to the Kingdom of Bahrain six times. These have included the busy Eid travel period as well as a previous National Day in 2017. Twice the A380 was deployed for the Bahrain Airshow.
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Flight details
This special A380 service will stand-in for the typical 777-300ER and occasional 777-200LR aircraft that operate the short hour-long route over a portion of the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). With a straight-line distance of just 303 miles or 488 kilometers, flights tend to last about 55 to 58 minutes.
Taking place on December 15th, this Emirates A380 service will operate as EK 839 and EK 840, and depart Dubai at 16:05 and arrive in Bahrain at 16:25. The flight will then depart Bahrain at 17:45, arriving in Dubai at 20:00. All times listed are local as there is a one hour time difference between the two cities.
The airline notes that its customers arriving from Bahrain have the option of a complimentary COVID-19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai or can do their COVID-19 PCR test 96 hours prior to departure. A point of interest regarding COVID-19 is that Bahrain was the second country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine, having done so after the UK on December 4th.
Emirates' current A380 services
During these times of overall reduced travel, Emirates' A380 fleet has seen reduced usage. However, while its entire A380 fleet was once grounded, the superjumbo has returned for some destinations. They include the following cities:
- London Heathrow
- Paris Charles de Gaulle
- Cairo
- Moscow Domodedovo
- Manchester
- Amman
- Jeddah
- A triangle route with Guangzhou and Bangkok
The reinstatement of the A380 means that its exclusive and somewhat unique services are back in the skies. These include the Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa. "Customers can now enjoy multi-course meals and choose from a complementary selection of beverages. Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment, ice, continues to add new content every month, and currently boasts over 4,500 channels." the airline notes.
Has the A380 touched down in your city yet? Let us know in the comments.