Adelaide has proudly welcomed the global debut of Emirates’ first ultra-long range A350 aircraft. Arriving last night, this marks the first time an A350 has joined Emirates’ global network, and it premiered right here in Adelaide. This milestone is a significant enhancement to South Australia’s tourism and trade capacities, as it introduces Emirates’ newest Premium Economy cabin to our local market.
With the launch of daily direct non-stop flights projected to generate over $62 million annually in visitor expenditure and $98 million in freight exports for South Australia, this service will be a huge economic booster. The Airbus A350-900ULR, which now operates the EK440/441 routes, has replaced the Boeing 777-200LR. These flights connect Adelaide directly to 140 destinations worldwide.
The A350 features 298 seats across three cabins, including the highly anticipated Premium Economy. It has a capacity of nearly 4,370 weekly seats on the Dubai-Adelaide route. Celebrated for its environmental efficiency, this aircraft can remain airborne for up to 15 hours non-stop and cover over 14,000 km. It also has the most fuel-efficient large widebody status in commercial service and the quietest twin-aisle cabin.
The aircraft’s arrival was celebrated with a traditional water cannon salute and was welcomed by leaders including Zoe Bettison, Minister for Tourism, Barry Brown, Divisional Vice President Australasia at Emirates, and Brenton Cox, Managing Director of Adelaide Airport. This event follows the resumption of Cathay Pacific’s direct flights from Hong Kong and precedes the inaugural United Airlines flight from San Francisco, set to happen on December 13th, marking the first direct connection between South Australia and the United States.
Minister Zoe Bettison shared, “It is exciting that Adelaide has been the city chosen by Emirates to debut its new A350 aircraft and demonstrates the airline’s commitment to South Australia and its confidence in tourism and trade in our State.”
Barry Brown from Emirates also shared, “This is a landmark moment for Emirates, highlighting Adelaide and South Australia’s vital role in our global operations. Adelaide proudly becomes the first Australian city to welcome the Emirates A350. With this, our new and highly acclaimed Premium Economy cabin debuts in Adelaide, completing the cabin’s rollout across all five of Emirates’ Australian gateways.”
Brenton Cox added, “These new longer-range aircraft are a game changer for Adelaide because of their size and range, which are perfectly suited to our market.
Emirates has been a strong supporter of ours for more than a decade, and this is another show of support for South Australian travellers and visitors to our State.”
With these advancements, South Australia’s global connectivity is getting stronger, and our travel experiences are getting better.
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