Emirates has added another leaf in the country’s colorful aviation history amidst the pandemic by bringing one of their Airbus A380 (tail number A6-EVI) to Clark International Airport (CRK) today for a one-off service. This is the first commercial flight, utilizing the iconic Superjumbo, to operate at the Luzon-based airport.
Operating as EK2520, the special A380 service from Dubai to Clark took off from Dubai International Airport at 0240H and landed in Pampanga at 1523H local time. The flight was greeted by a traditional water cannon salute upon arrival at the airport. More than 400 passengers, who were delighted to have experienced Emirates’ flagship aircraft on a route not regularly served by the aircraft, in addition to Emirates executives, were welcomed by the airport’s executive management team. VIPs, including Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade, as well as media were given a guided tour of the A380 by Emirates cabin crew.
According to Satish Sethi, Country Manager for Emirates-Philippines, “Today we mark a special day in the history of our operations in the Philippines, by becoming the first airline to operate the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft to Clark International Airport and we are delighted to share this special occasion with the airport that we have been operating from since 2016. It also is a great honor to have delighted our customers by giving them the opportunity to experience this flagship aircraft on their journey to the Philippines.”
“We have been serving our customers in the Philippines for 30 years and, since we introduced this iconic aircraft to our fleet in 2008, Filipino fans have always planned trips to destinations that are served by the Emirates A380, by connecting in Dubai, to enjoy its spaciousness, comfort, and best-in-class features and amenities. This time, we wanted to give our customers the one-off opportunity to have the same experience on the Dubai-Clark route.”
The popular Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft has resumed operations to five (05) destinations so far, including London Heathrow, Paris, Cairo, Guangzhou, and Toronto.
“We would like to thank the authorities in the Philippines for their continuous support that has been crucial to our success since we began our operations here. Our most sincere gratitude also goes to them for making this exceptional flight possible, allowing us to take advantage of efficiencies and greater capacity on a route where flights remain in high demand. The last time our A380 aircraft made an appearance in the Philippines was in 2014 in Manila, and we hope to see it soon as a regular scheduled service to the country,” added by Sethi.
Since 1990, Emirates has been serving the Philippines and inaugurated its first service to Clark in 2016. In 2014, the Emirates A380 made a one-off trip to Manila, marking its first arrival in the Philippines. Emirates resumed its flights to Manila on 11 June 2020, with daily flights, and Clark on 01 August 2020 with six (06) weekly fights. On 20 August 2020, Emirates will resume its operations to Cebu, restoring scheduled services to all three gateways in the country.
With safety as a priority, Emirates is gradually expanding its passenger services to 75 cities in September, allowing travelers to connect safely and conveniently to the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and the Asia Pacific via Dubai. Customers from Emirates’ network can stopover or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving in Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.