Superjumbo In Bangalore: Emirates Airbus A380 Begins Operations — Here’s Everything You Need To Know

The AIrbus A380 is an iconic aircraft for many reasons. It is the first aircraft to have a full-length double deck. As a result, it has the highest passenger capacity and is rated to fly 853 passengers. It is a quad-jet, which means it is powered by four turbofan engines and boasts amenities other aircraft can only dream of.

Airbus A380: A Walk Down History Lane

The idea of the Airbus A380 first stemmed from the thought of having a higher number of passengers on the same aircraft, thereby reducing congestion at some of the busiest airports in the world. The idea first stemmed way back in the late 80s. In 1988, Airbus engineers started working on what was then called 'Ultra High Capactiy Airliner.'

The A380 could take almost twice as many passengers as the nearest rival back then. In December 2000, Airbus named the project as the A380 as it had by then received 50 confirmed orders from six airlines. After lots of ups and downs, the Airbus A380 took to the skies for the first time on 27 April 2005. Since then, the A380 has been the largest passenger aircraft in the skies without any contention.

About the Airbus A380

As aforementioned, the Airbus A380 is certified for a maximum of 853 passengers. However, no airline has ever used it to carry 853 passengers. The accrual capacity varies from airline to airline and aircraft to aircraft, depending on the seating arrangement.

When the production of the A380 was started back in 2005, it was powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. The Engine Alliance GP7200 turbofan engine was added as an option in 2006. The Airbus A380 has a range of around 14,800 kilometres. The final assembly of the Airbus A380 happens in Toulouse, France. With a top speed of 1,185 km/h, the Airbus A380 is one of the top-five fastest commercial airliners ever produced.

Production started in 2005 and ended in 2021. On 16 December 2021, the last Airbus A380 was delivered to Emirates and with that, the Airbus A380 hit the end of the road. Over 239 A380 aircraft are currently in service with 16 airlines around the world. Dubai-based Emirates operates the largest number of A380 aircraft. Of the 254 A380 aircraft built, Emirates operates 123. With this, Emirates owns and operates a staggering 48.5 percent of all A380s ever built.

There are a few unique facts about the Airbus A380 operated by Emirates. Firstly, at the Dubai International Airport, Emirates operates Concourse A, which is the dedicated home of the A380 fleet. Then there's the Dubai Miracle Garden that pays homage to the Emirates A380 through a life-size version of the aircraft covered in plants and flowers. It is said that over 5,00,000 flowers make up this aircraft.

The Emirates Airbus A380 features an onboard lounge that is capable of accommodating 26 passengers at a time for a round of drinks and some of the best cocktails in the world. Emirates has trained around 6,000 members of its crew to be mixologists, and they produce find drinks onboard the A380, at the lounge.

Over 23,000 cabin crew members and 1,500 flight deck crew are trained to operate the Airbus A380. Each A380 flight has 24 cabin crew and two cabin assistants serving those onboard. Emirates has opted for four different seating configurations for this gigantic aircraft.

Emirates' A380 Service Connecting Bangalore & Dubai

Several airlines across the world have reported that the A380 does not drive a great increase in profitability, In fact, during the COVID-19-induced aviation industry slowdown, most airlines mothballed their A380 fleet. Emirates though, kept some of these giants operational and was very quick to get the entire A380 fleet back into the skies as soon as the pandemic started receding.

Emirates A380 Seating configurations:
- Long Cruising Range (489 Seats): 14 First Class, 76 Business Class, and 399 Economy Class
- Medium Cruising Range (517 Seats): 14 First Class, 76 Business Class, and 427 Economy Class
- Medium Cruising Range (519 Seats): 14 First Class, 76 Business Class, and 429 Economy Class
- Medium Cruising Range (557 Seats): 58 Business Class and 557 Economy Class

The cost of an Emirates Airbus A380 depends on the seating configuration opted for, and the graphics scheme chosen for the exterior. The average cost is $450 million (Rs 3,696 crore).

Emirates' A380 Service Connecting Bangalore & Dubai

Several airlines across the world have reported that the A380 does not drive a great increase in profitability, In fact, during the COVID-19-induced aviation industry slowdown, most airlines mothballed their A380 fleet. Emirates though, kept some of these giants operational and was very quick to get the entire A380 fleet back into the skies as soon as the pandemic started receding.

Emirates is also one of the largest airlines in the world and is on an expansion spree. As a part of this expansion, and to cater to an increase in passengers flying from Dubai to Bangalore and back, Emirates has now started flying the A380 to Bangalore.

Until now, Emirates operated the Boeing 777-300 to Bangalore, just like it does to other major cities in India like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, etc. However, now Emirates has decided to add the Airbus A380 to its Bangalore operations.

The maiden flight to Bangalore took off from Dubai at 12:09pm IST. By 12:47pm, the aircraft cleared the landmass of the Arabian Peninsula and had crossed Muscat. The A380, had by this time attained its cruising altitude of 41,000 feet and was holding a steady ground speed of 491 knots (910km/h).

Just over three hours after it departed DXB, flight EK562 was approaching Bangalore and was at an altitude of around 10,000 feet over the villages surrounding Tumkur. 10 minutes later, the A380 touched-down at the Kempegowda International Airport. On the ground, the A380 was welcomed by escort vehicles and was also given the traditional water canon salute.

The aircraft that touched down in Bangalore earlier today is registered as A6-EVP. This particular aircraft was produced in 2021 and is powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. It was delivered to Emirates in May last year. Before its flight to Bangalore, the aircraft flew to well-known destinations like London, Frankfurt, New York. Hamburg, Paris, etc.

The maiden flight is often used to test multiple aspects of the airport. The readiness of the Bangalore airport and its infrastructure in its ability to guide the aircraft on the ground, its ability to deploy multiple boarding bridges for double-decker docking, etc, are all checked. The Kempegowda International Airport checks all of these boxes and now, Emirates will begin official flights.

The first official flight is set to arrive in the wee hours of 30th October 2022. From this day onwards, the Emirates Superjumbo will fly to Bangalore on a daily basis. The A380 will make one trip to and fro Bangalore, while the Boeing 777 will make three to-and-fro trips. This only goes to show how much demand there is on the Bangalore-Dubai route.

Airbus A380 Bangalore-Dubai Ticket Prices

Prices vary from season to season. During the Initial days of its operation, prices for an Economy Class ticket start at around Rs 21,871 while Business Class Seats cost around Rs 64,450 and a First Class seat costs Rs 1,83,350.

During the last two weeks of December though, an Economy Class ticket would cost Rs 41,994, a business class ticket would cost Rs 1,18,457 and a first class seat would set you back by Rs 1,83,350.

Thoughts On Emirates Airbus A380 Landing In Bangalore For The First Time

The Airbus A380 is a legend in its own right and is an aircraft that will go down in history books as one that exceeded all expectations one could have from a commercial aircraft. There is no other commercial passenger aircraft that can boast of having a spa, a bar & lounge, and multiple showers on board, all while ferrying hundreds of passengers. The A380 is truly a dream to fly on, and those traveling on the BLR-DXB route can now realise this dream.

Image & Tracking Source: FlightRadar24