Emirates, one of the world’s
fastest-growing airlines, has just taken delivery of the first of its fleet
of 30 new Boeing 777-300ERs (Extended Range).Part of an unprecedented US $30 billion fleet expansion programme, the
arrival of the new airliner at Dubai airport earlier this morning marks the
start of an intense and unprecedented delivery cycle of 100 pending orders
that will see the Emirates fleet grow at an average rate of one new aircraft
per month through 2012. 

Emirates has 30 Boeing 777-300ERs currently on firm order and will receive
10 of them by the end of 2005. Its order book also includes 45 Airbus A380s
- one-third of the total firm orders taken so far by Airbus for the new
double-decker superjumbo - 20 Airbus A340-600HGWs, two A340-500s and three
A310-300 freighters.

 

The newest addition to the Emirates’ fleet was handed over to the airline
last Friday at a ceremony in Seattle, Washington state, U.S.A., attended by
Emirates’ Chairman HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum and other senior
Emirates executives, and Boeing’s Chairman and CEO Alan Mulally. The
aircraft later took off on its maiden voyage to Dubai and completed the
flight from the Pacific coast of the U.S.A. in just under 14 hours. 

 

Emirates’ fleet already included 21 Boeing 777s, a number set to grow to 51
by late 2007, making Emirates one of the largest 777 operators in the world.

 

The new 777-300ER will be used primarily to provide extra capacity on
existing long-range services such as Manila, Bangkok, Sydney and Auckland.

 

HH Sheikh Ahmed said: “The 777-300ER is an economically sound option for us
to meet the growing customer demand for more Emirates capacity on long-haul
routes. Our trust in the 777 family stems from the proven performance and
reliability of those aircraft already in operation in the Emirates fleet.
Our passengers also appreciate its interior roominess, which enhances the
on-board service that Emirates is known for.” 

 

The new 777-300ER fleet will incorporate a combination of two- and
three-class configurations. The three-class aircraft will have a total of
364 seats - 12 in First Class, 42 in Business and 310 in Economy - while
carrying up to 23 tonnes of freight. 

 

The two-class aircraft, with 427 seats, will offer 42 in Business Class and
385 in Economy, and will be able to carry up to 16.7 tonnes of freight.

 

The First Class cabin, served by four cabin crew, will offer passengers
roomy, state-of-the-art sleeper seats with fully flat beds. They also
incorporate a personal mini-bar, an electronically operated privacy
partition and a 19 inch LCD monitor on which passengers can enjoy Emirates’
unique Information, Communications and Entertainment system.

 

ICE and its multitude of entertainment, email and SMS options which include
500 channels of video, audio and games on demand, also are available to
passengers traveling in either Business or Economy Class.

 

Business Class offers passengers comfortable sleeperette seats with a pitch
of up to 60 inches and an adjustable winged head-rest with six-way movement.

 

Economy passengers can enjoy more comfort than ever with roomy cabins, 34
inch seat pitch, adjustable footrests and headrests.

 

In another first for Emirates, the new Boeing 777-300ER is the first to
emblazon the airline’s logo on the underside of all of its fleet. The
distinctive logo - the Emirates name in white on a red field - is nearly 12
metres long, with the initial letter ‘E’ standing 2.3 metres tall,
complementing the existing golden branding on each side of the fuselage.

 

It is meant to literally underline outwardly what the carrier’s customers
know the moment they step into its aircraft: Emirates is an airline
different from any other.
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