Emirates lands in Kuala Lampur

The airline's flagship, operating as EK346, arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to a traditional welcome of a water canon salute.

"We have been eagerly awaiting the start of our Airbus A380 service to Malaysia, a country that we have been operating flights to since 1996," said Richard Jewsbury, Emirates' Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East & Australasia.

The start of 2012 will be a busy time for Emirates. In addition to launching the A380 aircraft on one of three daily non-stop flights between Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, the airline also expanding its network to include Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro in South America from 3 January and Dublin in Ireland from 9 January 2012.

The Airbus A380 will also be flying to Melborne and Tokyo.  

Melbourne joined the Emirates network in 1996 and the airline now operates three daily flights from Dubai, one non-stop, one via Singapore and the other via Kuala Lumpur. The A380 will operate as EK406, the non-stop flight from Dubai to Melbourne and on to Auckland from 1 October 2012.

Melbourne's A380 service will be Emirates' second A380 operation in Australia and New Zealand, following the introduction of the aircraft on the Dubai-Sydney-Auckland route in 2009.

In 2012, Emirates will be celebrating its tenth year of services between Dubai and Japan, and its third year of operating to Narita International Airport. Demand on the Dubai - Tokyo route has continued to grow, prompting the need for the daily service to be operated by an A380 from 1 July 2012.

Emirates' A380 service to Tokyo will operate as EK 318 departing Dubai at 0250hrs and arriving at Narita International Airport at 1735hrs the same day. The return flight of EK 319 departs Narita at 2200hrs and touches down in Dubai at 0415hrs the following day.

"This announcement demonstrates our commitment to the Far East and Australasian region, as Emirates takes delivery of its 20th Airbus A380 aircraft," said Richard Jewsbury, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East & Australasia.

"Emirates not only offers a world-class in-flight experience but a superior global network. The announcement of enhanced services into Melbourne and Tokyo comes as we introduce flights from Dubai to Dublin, our 29th European destination and Dubai to Buenos Aires, via Rio de Janeiro, our latest South American destinations," added Mr Jewsbury.

Emirates took delivery of its first A380 in July 2008 and since that date the number of A380 destinations on the Emirates network has grown and will reach 17 on 1st January 2012 with the addition of Kuala Lumpur.

Emirates operates flights on a daily schedule from Malta to Dubai via Larnaka, Cyprus.