Emirates to upgrade planes on Newcastle Airport route
03.09.08
Emirates is planning to use a bigger aircraft on its Newcastle Airport to Dubai route after a successful first year of operation. The airline said yesterday it has carried 140,000 passengers in the last year – 20,000 more than its original target – with more than 25% being business flights.
The total number of passengers amounts to the equivalent of one in 20 of the entire population of the region. Freight traffic through Newcastle has also grown hugely thanks to the arrival of the flights – more than quadrupling to 1.7 million kilogrammes.
The route has been so successful that Emirates is already considering an upgrade from an Airbus A330 to a Boeing 777. The larger aircraft can carry 346 passengers, compared to the 278 on the Airbus – a 24% increase, and would also have even more freight capacity – 20 tonnes rather than 14.
Vic Sheppard, UK vice president of Emirates, said: ‘We’ve seen some of our best-ever figures for a UK route launch, despite operating through some tough times. Given that it has been a challenging time for the entire airline industry, we are delighted to have received such strong support from the North East travelling public.’
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