Emirates has revealed Frankfurt, the financial epicentre of Germany, will be the next destination slated for its flagship A380 aircraft.

The daily A380 service will start on September 1st.

Thierry Antinori, executive vice president, Emirates, said: “Frankfurt was one of the first European destinations for Emirates and as the financial capital of Germany it continues to be strategically important.

“Deploying larger capacity aircraft, such as the A380, is central to helping us meet growing passenger demand between one of the Europe’s busiest economic regions and the emerging economies of Asia, Middle East and Africa, through seamless, swift connections via our Dubai hub. 

“The local economy will also derive substantial benefits from tourism growth with the increased number of visitors from the GCC region.

“We are proud to fly our flagship A380 aircraft to Frankfurt from 1st September and offer our passengers the Emirates on-board Shower Spa experience, our world-renowned on-board Lounge, and an unparalleled 1,700 channels of in-flight entertainment across all cabins.”

Frankfurt is currently served with a triple daily Boeing 777 operation.

From September 1st, EK45 becomes an A380 flight, leaving Dubai at 08:25 and arriving in Frankfurt at 13:15.

The return double-decker flight, EK46, departs Frankfurt at 15:20 and lands in Dubai at 23:35.

With 48 A380s in its fleet, Emirates is the largest operator globally of the Airbus superjumbo, which has carried over 25 million passengers since its launch in 2008.

Emirates is also the largest A380 purchaser with 92 pending delivery – a share of the A380 programme which alone is estimated to support approximately 12,000 direct German jobs.

German aeronautical businesses contribute to the production of the aircraft’s engines, wings, ice entertainment system, lighting and On-board Shower features, and over €200 million is spent each year by Emirates for the operation and maintenance of these components, according to a study by the Institute of Air Transport and Airport Research.