Airbus, Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) and Emirates celebrate the first anniversary of the A380’s operation at the airport, which began in March 2017. With the arrival of Emirates flight EK262 from Dubai International Airport ( DXB), on March 26, GRU became the first airport in South America to receive scheduled flights from the A380 aircraft. Today, the Emirates A380 offers a daily service between GRU and DXB and has already transported more than 276,000 passengers on the route since the start of operations a year ago.

“We are proud to celebrate the first anniversary of our operations with the A380 to São Paulo,” said Hubert Frach, Emirates Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations. “As the only airline operating the A380 in South America, we continue to enthuse our customers and set the benchmark for travel comfort on commercial flights. Since the introduction of our flagship A380 in Sao Paulo, we have increased by 43% our passenger capacity, which illustrates strong customer and market demand. ”

Emirates is the world’s largest A380 carrier with 102 units currently in its fleet and 60 more ordered. The Emirates A380 flies to 48 cities on six continents on regular services including Narita, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, Taipei, Seoul, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Including one-way flights, special commemorative services, test flights and other operational deployments, more than 70 airports have so far received the Emirates A380. The Emirates A380 service at Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo allows Brazilian travelers to fly only on the A380s to their final destinations, especially when traveling to Asian cities via Dubai.

The Emirates A380 is renowned for its First Class Whirlpool Suites and Showers, as well as an on-board lounge for First Class and Business Class passengers, who mingle as they try canapés and drinks prepared by the on-board bartender. Passengers of all classes can use Wi-Fi to stay in touch with family and friends or Emirates’ premium digital wide-screen ‘ice’ with up to 3,500 movie channels, TV shows, music and podcasts. Passengers traveling on the Emirates A380 can take advantage of the spacious cabins and take a leisurely trip on the world’s quietest longest jet.

In February 2018, Emirates and Airbus signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and signed a contract for the purchase of another 20 A380s with an option for a further 16. The total contract for 36 aircraft is worth US $ 16 billion based in the latest list prices.

“We are delighted to be celebrating the first year of operation of the A380.” The quality of Emirates’ A380 services was recognized by passengers who chose the airline as the first choice between South America and the Middle East, as evidenced by recent announcement of a second flight from Emirates to Sao Paulo starting in July. The construction of Terminal 3, improvements on the runway and the implementation of technologies were some of the essential elements to guarantee the arrival of the largest passenger aircraft in the world, “says Gustavo Figueiredo, president of GRU Airport.

Responsible for more than 20 thousand long-distance passengers a day, São Paulo is considered one of the six megacities of aviation in Latin America and one of 58 in the world. GRU is the busiest airport in Brazil, with 42 airlines operating to 88 destinations (47 international and 41 domestic) and serving 37.7 million passengers last year.

“We are pleased that Emirates, one of the two airlines offering flights with the A380 in Latin America, has brought the A380’s unparalleled flight experience to passengers in the region. The A380 is the best solution to absorb growth in fast-moving markets air traffic growth such as Brazil, and is the sustainable solution to alleviate air traffic congestion, environmental impact and saturation at high-traffic airports such as São Paulo-Guarulhos, “says Rafael Alonso, President of Airbus for America Latin America and the Caribbean.

With passenger traffic doubling every 15 years, the A380 is and will continue to be the best solution to absorb growth by using aircraft slots more efficiently. Like no other aircraft, the A380 releases growth in a comfortable and environmentally friendly way. The A380 is recognized for its low noise emissions, generating 50% less take off noise than its nearest competitor, as well as up to 4 times less on landing.

To date, more than 200 million passengers worldwide have experienced the A380. With its smoother and quieter flight, it offers unparalleled comfort in all classes. A modern achievement of engineering and design, the A380 is the universally recognized benchmark. It offers airlines a blank screen to create the best first class and executive air classes with amenities such as showers, beds, bars and lounges.

Operated by the world’s leading airlines on more than 120 routes and 60 destinations, the A380 is a passenger favorite. Airbus’s iconic super jumbo jet offers more personal space and the sky’s widest seats in all classes, including economy class.

Taking advantage of the excitement of the passengers around the A380, Airbus launched in 2016 the first booking assistant of its kind: iflyA380.com. In January 2018, following the success of the site, Airbus introduced the iflyA380 application, which enhances the site with more options, features and content and new possibilities for interaction with the A380.

Photo: Luis Simione