Aircraft

Emirates is to begin operating its Airbus A380 on the Dubai-London Heathrow route on 1 December, as the third of the type enters service with the carrier.

The Dubai-based airline is already serving New York JFK with its first two A380s.

Emirates will use the 489-seat A380 in place of a Boeing 777 aircraft, generating a capacity increase of around 40%.

Flight reservation service Amadeus lists the A380 as operating the second of Emirates' five daily services between Dubai and Heathrow, the EK001/002 connection.

"We're delighted that we will now be offering this superb aircraft to passengers travelling with us from Heathrow," says the airline's UK and Ireland vice-president Vic Sheppard.

Emirates will put the Engine Alliance GP7200-powered A380 into service on the Sydney and Auckland routes in February next year.