Jump to content
MalaysianWings - Malaysia's Premier Aviation Portal
Sign in to follow this  
flee

2 Daily Emirates A380 to Kuala Lumpur from 1 July 2016

Recommended Posts

By Muin Abdul Majid

 

DUBAI, May 6 (Bernama) -- Emirates Airline is supportive of a request for an increase in flights to Kuala Lumpur during Ramadan as Malaysia eyes more Arab visitors during the Muslim fasting month, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said.

 

She said the possibility of Emirates using the Airbus A380 superjumbo for the flights was mentioned in her talks with Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group here, Wednesday.

 

"I requested Emirates to add flights to Malaysia during Ramadan...and he was very supportive," she told the Malaysian media after the meeting which took place at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2010 here.

 

Dr Ng is leading the Malaysian delegation at the Middle East's premiere travel fair which ends tomorrow.

 

Emirates currently operates 21 weekly non-stop flights between its home base of Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital.

 

The minister said the unique atmosphere of Ramadan in Malaysia should be enjoyed by outsiders.

 

"In Malaysia, the length of your fasting time is quite constant. The whole religious aspects are well-catered for in Malaysia.

 

"You can have your breakfast and sahur (early morning meal) at the hotels which offer buffet spreads, and perform tarawih prayers at the mosque," she said.

 

Dr Ng said an interesting aspect of Ramadan in Malaysia was that non-Muslims would also wait for the azan (call to prayer) before eating with their Muslim friends at the breaking fast ritual.

 

The minister said Tourism Malaysia would engage hospitality industry players in planning for the Ramadan tourism push.

 

Dr Ng also said Sheikh Ahmed made an observation that many Middle Easterners were going to countries like Thailand for medical tourism despite Malaysia having facilities for this purpose.

 

"I will go back and convey the message to the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council," she said.

 

On its part, she said, Tourism Malaysia would always extend any assistance needed in promoting medical tourism in Malaysia.

 

Source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=496024

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I heard the A380 will most likely start in the winter schedule. The EK lounge at KLIA is going to be renovated soon to increase capacity by an additional 150pax.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hopefully, KUL will be another A380 destination. And why MH do not increase their capacity/frequency to DXB?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah I find that weird too.

 

How come MH (and also SQ), don't use their best aircraft on this route? MH only uses their A330 and SQ their old 777's.

 

Don't these Arabs have a lot of money and would be willing to spend more for the best product?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

No Arab chicken/Lamb Matby in the MH flight.. that's why... :)

 

MH should cater Saba' restaurant, Cyberjaya for meal for this routes...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Could it be because of the landing fees, cabin crew or equipments? Can the Muslim female cabin crew wear that sizzling kebaya when they arrive in DXB?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Can the Muslim female cabin crew wear that sizzling kebaya when they arrive in DXB?

 

Seriously...? :rolleyes:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

How come MH (and also SQ), don't use their best aircraft on this route? MH only uses their A330 and SQ their old 777's.

 

Don't these Arabs have a lot of money and would be willing to spend more for the best product?

For both airlines, MH and SQ, I think it is because of the airlines' interpretation that DXB is not a 'prestigious' destination since a very long time ago. This reason is more apparent on SQ though. Among SQTalkers, it was discussed that the Middle East is the step child in the network for an unknown reason, although some of the routes in this region warrant the deployment of SQ's best aircraft (the B77W). But SQ has started replacing some of the routes with their new A333s, which feature the best 'regional' product to AUH-JED and soon DXB-CAI. As for MH, I really don't have any idea why the airline sends their A332s and the very ancient A333s to DXB instead of the B772s. MH's B772s have lesser seats than the A333s, if one argues that MH can't fill in the seats should the B772s are used in this route. As a proceed, this situation has resulted in EK bypassing the 2 airlines in the routes especially in KUL by miles with far superior product and frequency.

 

Currently,

MH operate 2x weekly KUL-DXB

EK operate 22X (?) weekly

The difference is huge.

Incorrect. MH operates 7 weekly flights to DXB. 5 non-stops (3 continue on to BEY, 2 continue on to DMM) and 2 one-stops via KHI. EK operates 21 weekly flights or 3 daily flights, 1 daily flight continue-on to MEL, all non-stop.

 

Could it be because of the landing fees, cabin crew or equipments? Can the Muslim female cabin crew wear that sizzling kebaya when they arrive in DXB?

LOL. That is a very weird question. MH's female crew can wear their sarong kebaya without any problem even in JED, an airport 1,000 times more 'Islamic' and conservative than DXB.

 

On the thread, although I have a negative feeling after reading the article (more on towards the indirect reasons on why the Arabs want to spend their Ramadhan in KL LOL, where others around the world want to spend their Ramadhan in Saudi Arabia in particular), but hey this means I could return back for Hari Raya this year with the A380s all the way from JED! A history for KUL as well should it materialised. Finally a scheduled (although seasonal) A380 in KUL! SIN and BKK have received theirs, KUL has to be next by hook or by crook.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I heard that when arriving in Saudi Arabia, the female pax have to get changed into Abaya. Doesn't it sound weird if female cabin crew, in particular Muslims, are not required to get changed? Although from a TR on A.net, female AirAsia cabin crew were still wearing the red skirt when they arrived in Abu Dhabi (or somewhere near there).

 

And from my observations (from MH cabin crew's blogs), most of the flights into Middle East have higher ratio of male to female crew. Is that true? Or just a coincidence?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

First of all, the UAE (where DXB and AUH are located) and Saudi Arabia are 2 very different countries. For Saudi Arabia, yes, all female human be it cabin crews or passengers have to cover themselves in an abaya whenever they leave the airport to other parts of the Kingdom. Female cabin crews can wear their uniforms inside the airport. The same abaya rule is not applied in the UAE (and Bahrain and Qatar too). To make it simple for you, think of Las Vegas whenever you see the UAE; where alcohol, prostitution and homosexuality among others, can be found in abundance although still maintain a certain degree of discreetness. And this is already off topic LOL.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was surprised as well when there is no MH direct flight between Tehran and KUL. According my friend, who is an Iranian, Malaysia is a hotspot for Iranians, either for studying or visiting. This is where all the glorified Middle East carriers make lots of money, operate into/from destinations, which airlines like SQ or MH do not even want to operate.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was surprised as well when there is no MH direct flight between Tehran and KUL. According my friend, who is an Iranian, Malaysia is a hotspot for Iranians, either for studying or visiting. This is where all the glorified Middle East carriers make lots of money, operate into/from destinations, which airlines like SQ or MH do not even want to operate.

 

The only option for direct flight is on Iran Air

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

More (positive) EK-news:

 

Emirates To Increase Fleet As Profit Soars

 

May 12, 2010

 

Emirates, the Arab world's largest carrier, said it expected passenger and cargo volumes to rise this year and would order more aircraft after posting a strong increase in full-year profit.

 

Middle Eastern carriers had the biggest increase in passenger demand among their peers in March, with a rise of 25.9 percent, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said last month.

 

"The group will continue to achieve double digit growth through 2010-2011," Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, Emirates chairman and chief executive, told reporters.

 

The airline, which has USD$55 billion in orders with Airbus and Boeing, said it would take delivery of seven additional A380s and one Boeing 777 in 2010-2011.

 

Sheikh Ahmed said the airline planned to announce new aircraft orders, likely at the Farnborough air show in England, and was in talks with both manufacturers. The show, a traditional venue for announcing aircraft orders, will run from July 19 to 25.

 

Financing for the new purchases was secure, Sheikh Ahmed said.

 

"We have a good number of financial institutions queuing up to finance deliveries for this year. We don't have any problem," he said.

 

The Dubai government-owned airline, the largest customer for the Airbus A380 superjumbo, said last month it planned to expand its fleet and was ready to launch an initial public offering whenever the Dubai government gave it a green light.

 

"Emirates has significant expansion plans which should continue to drive passenger growth," said Abid Riaz, director of research at EFG-Hermes in Dubai.

 

The carrier said it made a net profit of AED3.5 billion dirhams (USD$952.9 million) in the year ended March 31, up from AED686 million in the prior year.

 

Revenue inched up 0.4 percent to AED43.5 billion, with cargo volumes revenue declining 8.1 percent.

 

The carrier, which started in 1985 with two planes, has grown to rival airlines such as Qantas and Singapore Airlines for passenger traffic between Europe and East Asia.

 

Airlines in the Middle East saw the highest growth rate, 11.2 percent, in air passenger traffic for 2009, IATA said. Their peers in other parts of the world are expected to post a total losses of USD$2.8 billion in 2010, it said.

 

Sheikh Ahmed also said the carrier would be willing to sell a stake in state-controlled SriLankan Airlines "at the right price."

 

In 2008, after opting not to renew a management contract for SriLankan Airlines, Emirates said it was looking to sell all or part of its 43.6 percent stake in the carrier, a holding which had previously been valued at about USD$150 million.

 

The carrier said in February it had been approached by the Sri Lankan government for the stake.

 

(Reuters)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Emirates To Start Flights To Iraq In July

 

May 10, 2010

 

Dubai airline Emirates will start flights to Iraq in July, it said on Monday, as it looks to benefit from increasing traffic on the back of reconstruction efforts in the war-torn nation.

 

The Arab world's biggest carrier, which has not flown to the country before, said in a statement the destination is one of six it plans to launch this year.

 

Overall violence in Iraq has fallen sharply since the height of sectarian warfare in 2006-07 and more airlines are opening routes.

 

Flights from Baghdad to other Middle Eastern destinations have jumped in recent years, and airlines have slowly begun opening up direct routes to European destinations.

 

"Iraq is well on the road to recovery and we are confident that the time is right to commence our operations there," Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, Emirates' chairman said in a statement.

 

"There is a high proportion of traffic heading both in and out of Iraq and we are in the right position to capitalise on this demand," he added.

 

Some Middle Eastern airlines have already ventured into Iraq while others plan flight launches soon.

 

Qatar Airways said earlier this month it planned to expand into Iraq when it takes delivery of more aircraft and obtains the right to fly to Irbil, Najaf and Baghdad.

 

Kareem Murad, logistics and transport analyst at Shuaa Capital in Dubai, said he saw airlines' increasing interest in launching and re-launching flights to Iraq as a normal step.

 

"Iraq is a standard route, which needs coverage," said Murad. "Airlines used to fly to Iraq and the route was profitable. I'm sure they secured flights, but if any security issues jeopardise the flights that will prevail."

 

Emirates will start with three flights a week to Baghdad with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

 

A large portion of passengers are expected to be industry and government personnel, with the construction, telecommunications and oil sectors likely to be the largest industry users, the carrier said. It also expects to carry 10-12 tonnes of cargo per flight.

 

"We will be importing various commodities into Iraq as the country continues its reconstruction... from all corners of the world," said Ram Menen, Emirates' senior divisional VP of cargo.

 

The carrier is launching flights to Tokyo, Amsterdam, Prague, Madrid and Dakar this year.

 

(Reuters)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Talking about EK's A380:

 

Emirates To Resume A380 Flights To New York

 

May 19, 2010

 

Dubai government-owned airline Emirates said it would restart A380 superjumbo flights to New York at the end of October, after an increase in traffic through the Americas boosted revenues.

 

Emirates, the largest customer for the Airbus A380 aircraft, said on Wednesday revenue for the Americas in its financial year 2009/10 rose 8.1 percent year-on-year.

 

The carrier had pulled the world's largest passenger plane off the New York route in June last year after a drop in traffic, replacing it with a Boeing 777 aircraft as the impact of the global financial crisis swept across the Gulf Arab region, reducing passenger demand.

 

The airline posted a fivefold increase in profit to AED3.5 billion dirhams (USD$953.2 million) in the year to March 31 and said it was aiming for close to AED4.25 billion for the group this year.

 

The carrier, which has USD$55 billion in orders with Airbus and Boeing, said it would take delivery of seven A380s and one Boeing 777 in 2010-2011 and was lining up new purchases.

 

"Against some of the toughest operating conditions ever faced, the results for the Americas have been hugely encouraging," said President Tim Clark in a statement. "As we look to 2010-11 and beyond, Emirates will continue to invest in its products and services to build on the resurgent demand for air travel within the Americas."

 

The airline will look at adding flights to new US cities, he added.

 

Emirates operates eight A380 aircraft to London Heathrow, Toronto, Paris, Jeddah, Bangkok, Seoul, Sydney and Auckland, and aims to start servicing Beijing and Manchester this year.

 

(Reuters)

 

No talk about DXB-KUL v.v. though... :(

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

More EK news:

 

Emirates To Hire 3,000 Cabin Crew In 2010-11

 

May 25, 2010

 

Dubai-based airline Emirates said on Tuesday it planned to recruit 3,000 cabin crew in the current financial year, 1,000 more than previously stated, to meet the demands of its expanding fleet and network.

 

Emirates, the Arab world's largest airline by fleet size, said in March it planned to hire 2,000 cabin crew in its 2010-2011 financial year.

 

The airline hired around 660 cabin crew and more than 60 pilots in the past year, increasing its total cabin crew to 11,000.

 

The Dubai-based carrier said it was looking to neighbouring Abu Dhabi to find new recruits.

 

Emirates, the largest customer for the Airbus A380 aircraft, posted a fivefold increase in 2009-10 profit to AED3.5 billion dirhams (USD$953 million).

 

It also said it was aiming for a full-year net profit of around AED4.25 billion for the group this year.

 

The carrier, which has USD$55 billion worth of orders with Airbus and Boeing, said it would take delivery of seven A380s and one Boeing 777 in 2010-2011 and was lining up new purchases.

 

(Reuters)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

WILL Emirates swoop in ahead of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to be the first airline to land the A380 superjumbo at the KL International Airport in a commercial flight? Emirates is giving much thought to this possibility and given the good growth it is experiencing, this may well happen. But it is likely that we will have to wait until next year to find out.

 

The Dubai-based carrier already has eleven A380s in service, which it uses for several hot destinations such as London and Sydney. By 2020, it should have built up a fleet that includes 90 A380s and 132 B777s.

 

MAS has ordered six A380s. However, this has been delayed several times. The ball is now in MAS’ court as to whether it wants to pick up the aircraft or just cancel the order.

 

The earliest it is likely to get an A380, if it decides to go ahead with the purchase, is in 2012. This is why an Emirates A380 may touch down sooner at KLIA than an A380 with MAS livery.

 

The passenger numbers for the Dubai-KL route are on the rise and this has prompted Emirates to consider flying the A380 on this route, possibly by early next year. “It would be sooner than later, but it depends on passenger growth,’’ says Kavin Martinus, Emirates country manager for Malaysia.

 

Emirates began mounting flights into KL from Dubai in October 1990 with three weekly flights. Now it operates three daily flights. It has another flight, the Dubai-KL-Melbourne route, which uses KL as a transit stop. Martinus says the response has been good and the airline now uses the B777 for the route.

 

Last year, about 718,000 Middle Eastern tourists arrived at KLIA. Of these, about one tenth flew on Emirates. “With the additional flight (the transit flight), we expect to carry about 100,000 passengers this year with air passenger traffic volume on the increase,’’ Martinus says.

 

He adds that it is not just the sandy beaches and the shopping in Malaysia that appeal to the Middle Eastern tourists; they also see Malaysia as a destination that offers value for money.

 

The political tension in Bangkok has also diverted some traffic into Malaysia and Martinus believes there is a lot more untapped potential, especially in Sabah and Sarawak. If promoted properly, he says, there is room for further growth in tourist arrivals from the Middle East.

 

Air passenger traffic has picked up since late last year and according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the traffic statistics for June 2010 showed passenger demand up 11.9% from a year ago. Load factors are in line with historical highs of 79.8% for passenger traffic.

 

According to IATA’s world air transport statistics, Emirates ranked top in in 2009 in terms of international revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), with 118,284 million RPK ahead of Lufthansa’s 118,264 million.

 

“Revenue-wise, we are achieving our targets today and we are contributing to the network,’’ says Martinus, who declines to reveal the numbers.

 

The Emirates Group reported revenue of 45.4 billion Dubai dinars at the end of its last financial year ended March 2010. The carrier flies to 59 destinations and “we are in the top half in terms of revenue generation and importance”, says Martinus. “KL as a point of sale is a revenue generator and it has grown over the years. From the time we started, the revenues have grown more than ten-fold.”

 

The number of seats available now has jumped from 750 in a week to 1,110 in a day, and the airline has changed the aircraft type from A310 to B777.

 

Of the 71,800 passengers that flew on Emirates last year, 75% came from other parts of the Emirates network and the rest were Malaysians. More than 10% travelled on Emirates to go beyond Dubai. Most of them went to Europe.

 

Emirates’ business and first class fares are actually 15%-20% higher than its competition. But the two classes are popular with travellers. Martinus says Emirates averages 70% load for the Dubai-KL-Dubai route.

 

The challenge for Emirates is to deal with competition and the economic changes in its markets.

 

Source: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/14/business/6850187&sec=business

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Emirates may introduce three more flights out of Kuala Lumpur from March 2011 should it continue to enjoy growth in passenger numbers.

 

Year-on-year, the airline has managed to grow passenger numbers by 40 per cent.

 

"I think by March, there is an indication we may add three more flights, at the moment we have 21 flights a week, we are looking at the possibility of making it 25 times a week," Emirates Malaysia manager Kavin Martinus told Business Times.

 

Emirates is already the second largest airline flying out of Kuala Lumpur, after national carrier Malaysia Airlines (3786).

 

Martinus also said its very own Airbus A380 could come into the market sooner than later.

"The A380 depends a lot on the first and business class revenue stream, and if this improves further, by 20 per cent on top of the present growth, then there's a possibility it will come into KL," he said.

 

The carrier's first and business class segments have managed to grow passenger numbers and yield at 40 per cent and 20 per cent respectively this year, compared to 2009. This has contributed to a 70 per cent surge in revenue from the two segments.

 

Emirates operates 14 A380s, with 76 more on order.

 

An A380 could take over from one of the B777s plying the Dubai-KL-Dubai route.

 

While the B777 seats about 400 passengers with 42 business class seats, the A380 holds about 500 passengers with almost double the number of business class seats.

 

This makes it essential for Emirates to grow its business class passenger numbers for both ways (Dubai-KL-Dubai) before it can start using the jumbo jet to service the market. Emirates in Asia Pacific, offers one of the largest number of seats on a daily basis.

 

The smallest frequency it has in the region is out of Jakarta (to Dubai), which has double daily flights.

 

"We have a lot of capacity out of Asia Pacific, so it is a growing region for the company," Martinus said.

 

Source: http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/pkm1/Article/

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Emirates is already the second largest airline flying out of Kuala Lumpur, after national carrier Malaysia Airlines (3786).

 

Emirates is bigger than AK flying out of KL????

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...