Germany expects to see the return of Emirates' A380 later this month as the Dubai-based airline looks to deal with increased demand prompted by the Easter holiday season in the country.
Apart from the odd ferry flight of a grounded Lufthansa Airbus A380, the giant of the skies has been largely absent from German airports for almost a year. Simple Flying previously reported that Munich was set to benefit from the superjumbo over the summer. However, it seems as though the aircraft will be back sooner than anticipated, thanks to Easter holiday demand.
A380s to Munich
If the Lufthansa Airbus A380 ever returns, it will be based in Munich alongside the Airbus A350, while Frankfurt would become a Boeing hub for the airline. However, while it doesn't look like Munich will see a Lufthansa A380 any time soon, another carrier is set to drop by next week.
According to flight schedule data spotted by aeroTelegraph.de and confirmed by Simple Flying, Emirates is set to operate two waves of flights to the Bavarian capital across the coming weeks.
03:00-03:59 and 08:00-08:59 each have eight A380 departures. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.
The airline's schedule sees it operating flights on all weekdays except Tuesday and Thursday. According to flight schedule data, an Airbus A380 will operate flights departing Dubai from Munich from March 24th to March 29th and again from April 3rd to April 11th. During this time, other German destinations are set to continue receiving the airline's Boeing 777 aircraft.
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Easter Holidays During COVID-19?
In Germany, the risk level of each foreign destination is assessed by the Robert Kock Institute (RKI). According to the RKI, the United Arab Emirates has been classified as a risk area since September 23rd. On January 24th, the RKI elevated its status to a high incidence area. As Germany is a federal republic, quarantine rules can vary by state. In Bavaria, most entrants from risk areas must quarantine for ten days, which can drop to five days with a negative test.
On March 14th, the RKI removed Portugal and parts of Spain from the German risk list. As these destinations are no longer considered a risk area, people can travel into Germany without quarantine on return, making these already popular destinations even more attractive. As such, some local airlines are boosting flights.
However, according to The Local, German residents are being warned that they shouldn't take areas being removed from the risk list as an invitation to travel. According to the publication, the country's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said,
“We have an increased incidence rate in Germany, and everyone is still called upon to do their part... Travel is one those things that leads to more contacts, and that’s why this is a decision that everyone has to make for themselves. But I hope citizens handle this responsibly.”
Are you excited to see Emirates' Airbus A380s returning to Germany sooner than thought? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!