Emirates airline flied the world’s largest commercial passenger jet to Cairo International Airport (CAI) on Wednesday. The landing demonstrated the airport’s readiness to accommodate such jet, according to an Emirates statement.
The A380 was led by Egyptian Captain Hesham Essawy and UAE National First Officer Abdullah Alyammahi. The flight was welcomed by key officials including Ahmed Maher Geneina, Chairperson of Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation (EHCAAN), and Ahmed Fawzy, Chairperson of Cairo Air Authority at CAI.
Travelling on the flight from Dubai was Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, as well as prominent members from the UAE business community.
“This day has been in the making for some time, and the Emirates A380’s grand debut in Cairo is the culmination of a lot of planning and hard work. We mark a new chapter in our long-relationship with Egypt by bringing our flagship aircraft to the country,” said Al Redha.
Emirates hopes to play a part in Egypt’s success by supporting trade and tourism, and bringing the country closer to the world, Al Redha added, noting, “We would like to thank the Egyptian government, the Ministry of Transport and the government authorities who have been invaluable in making Emirates’ first A380 service a tremendous success.
Emirates looks forward to operating the A380 on a scheduled basis to and from Cairo, he mentioned.
The Emirates A380 operating to Cairo is set in a three-class configuration, and will have 426 seats in Economy Class on the lower deck, 76 flat-bed Business Class seats and 14 luxurious First Class Suites.
Additionally, the Emirates A380 has become one of the most recognised and admired aircraft in the world, and more than 115 million passengers have experienced the airline’s flagship since 2008. Emirates currently has 112 A380s in service and 11 pending delivery, and is set to receive 6 A380s this financial year.
