Emirates has completed the application of the specially-designed ‘Year of Zayed’ livery on ten of its aircraft. This tribute to the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was first unveiled in November 2017 on the fuselage of Emirates’ 100th A380 aircraft, and commemorates the 100th year of HH Sheikh Zayed’s birth.

DUBAI, U.A.E., 21 March 2018: Emirates received three Regional Passenger Choice Awards for Best Entertainment in the Middle East, Best Inflight Wi-Fi in the Middle East, and the Best Overall Experience in the Middle East at the 2018 APEX Passenger Choice Awards ceremony held during APEX Asia in Shanghai, China.

Boeing's 737 MAX 7 airliner made its maiden flight on Friday from Renton Field, Washington State, with Boeing Test and Evaluation Captains Jim Webb and Keith Otsuka at the controls. The initial flight lasted three hours and five minutes for flight control, systems, and handling tests before landing at Boeing Field in Seattle at 1:22 pm.

Feb 22, 2018  -  Air New Zealand has today announced it will start operating non-stop flights between Auckland and Taipei from November 2018.  The airline will fly up to five times a week between Auckland and Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport from November, with NZ77 departing Auckland at 10:35am and arriving in Taipei at 4:50pm local time. NZ78 will depart Taipei at 6:30pm local time, arriving in Auckland at 10:20am+1.

Feb 22, 2018  -  Air New Zealand today announced earnings before taxation for the first six months of the 2018 financial year of $323 million, compared to $349 million in the prior period. Net profit after taxation was $232 million.

Qatar Airways takes delivery of first Airbus A350-1000.  The official handover ceremony took place on Tuesday (European time) at Airbus’s headquarters in Toulouse, France.  The aircraft, A7-ANA, is the first of 37 A350-1000s Qatar Airways has on order. It is powered by Rolls-Royce engines.

Feb 21, 2018  -  For the first time in Rafic Al Hariri International Airport’s history, Emirates will operate a special one-off A380 test service to Beirut on March 29.   The airline’s flagship double-decker will become the first-ever scheduled A380 service to Beirut, and Emirates is working with the airport to test the operations and necessary infrastructure to accommodate an A380 service.

 Feb 21, 2018  -  Emirates will resume a second daily service between Dubai and Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, from June 1, in the process providing direct connections with Emirates’ daily New Zealand services in both directions.

The flight will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER in a three class cabin configuration, with eight private suites in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class, and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class.

Portugal boasts a warm temperate climate and a long coastline of beaches, scenic villages and a rich culture and history, attracting visitors from all over the world. According to Turismo de Portugal, a record 21 million people visited the country in 2017, an increase of 10 percent when compared to the previous year, while Lisbon recorded a 16 percent increase.

“Portugal is experiencing an upturn in its economy and strong tourism growth. The second daily service between Dubai and Lisbon will therefore meet growing demand for seats on the route, as well as offer our customers in Portugal and from across Emirates’ worldwide network more choice and flexibility when planning their travel,” said Hubert Frach, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, West.

More connectivity

The second flight, EK193, will depart Dubai at 1425hrs and arrive in Lisbon at 1940hrs, while the return flight EK194, will leave Lisbon at 2115hrs and land in Dubai at 0805 the next morning. Emirates’ current flight, EK191, departs Dubai at 0725hrs and arrives in Lisbon at 1235pm. The return flight EK192, departs Lisbon at 1415pm and arrives back in Dubai 0110pm.

Named the Best Airline in the World by TripAdvisor in 2017, customers can look forward to the highest levels of care and comfort, from the warm hospitality of Emirates’ multinational cabin crew, including Portuguese nationals, to being entertained by ice, which offers up to 3000 channels of on demand audio and visual entertainment from the latest movies, music and games. Customers also enjoy chef prepared meals and complimentary beverages, while families are also well catered for with dedicated products and services for children.

| A Emirates release  ||  February 21, 2018   |||

Feb 19, 2018  -  Emirates today announced its plan to launch a new daily service from Auckland to Dubai via the tropical island of Bali, Indonesia, starting from 14 June 2018.

Feb 12, 2018  -  Agreement signed on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai reinforces strong aviation ties between the UAE and France