EMIRATES WINGING ITS WAY TO DELHI ON A380

By Abdul Muin Majid

DUBAI, July 6 (Bernama) -- Emirates Airline is all set to become the first
international carrier to bring the world's largest passenger aircraft, the
Airbus A380, to India.

The special Dubai-Delhi flight on July 15 is being commissioned to
celebrate the launch of Terminal 3 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International
(IGI) Airport.

Emirates has been flying to Delhi since its first day of operations in
1985, according to Majid Al Mualla, Emirates' Senior Vice-President for West
Asia and Indian Ocean.

"Twenty-five years on, 10 destinations and 184 weekly flights certainly
represent the efforts and investment that have gone into building a strong
relationship with India," he said in a statement Tuesday.

The Dubai-based airline said the special commercial service of the 517-seat
A380 would offer passengers a one-off opportunity to experience the aircraft's
luxurious onboard amenities.

The A380 will operate EK516 on the Dubai-Delhi route on July 15 and will be
at the IGI Airport for three hours before returning to Dubai as EK517.

A special one-way fare from Dubai costs 380 dirhams (US$103) plus taxes or
return for 990 dirhams (US$270) plus taxes.

Emirates has placed an order with Airbus for an additional 32 A380s, taking
the carrier's total firm order for the iconic airliner to 90.
-- BERNAMA