Dubai, UAE, 17th November 2005 - The city's residents and the international visitors for the Dubai 2005 - 9th International Aerospace Exhibition are in for a colossal treat this year as the Airbus A380 super-jumbo, resplendent in Emirates' full livery, will for the very first time fly over the city and its iconic beachfront at low altitudes, between 09:00 and 11:00 hours on 19th November. This will also mark the first time the A380 sports any airline's full livery.
Emirates, the world's largest customer for the aircraft and Airbus, the manufacturer of the world's largest commercial airliner the A380-800, have teamed up to bring the massive 600+ seater specifically for the Dubai Air Show.
Set to become a familiar sight in Dubai's skies from 2007, when Emirates begins to receive the first of its 45 A380s on order, the aircraft will mark its debut appearance in the entire region of the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent, which have a combined population of more than two billion people.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates' Chairman said: "The A380's test flight to Dubai is historic and significant for the entire region. It underpins the impressive profile Emirates and Dubai have created in the international arena. Dubai's residents and visitors will now have a fantastic preview of the future of long-haul air travel as the massive A380 takes to the skies.
"Our order for 45 of these aircraft will further propel Emirates' meteoric ascent in the aviation industry and catalyse commerce and industry locally, providing a big thrust to Dubai's vision of becoming a global hub."
But that's not all as Emirates, one of the world's fastest-growing airlines, puts on a spell-binding display at the Dubai Air Show starting 20th November. Emirates' massive three-storey stand that mimics the A380 will be at the show, highlighting the airline's enormous order. In fact, the stand is a 90 per cent scale model of the front fuselage section the A380 and seats 44 guests in the 'First Class' and 51 guests in 'Business Class' hospitality areas.
On the first day, Emirates will launch a commemorative coffee table book that captures the 20-year history of the airline and its symbiotic relationship with Dubai. The 352-page hardback book embraces a year's research and writing efforts within its pages, and has more than 385 photographs - many previously unpublished and some unique shots of Dubai International Airport in the early 1960s. The book features interviews with international personalities such as Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Virgin's Sir Richard Branson, Airbus' Noel Forgeard and Rolls-Royce's Sir Ralph Robins. The book will be on available on sale at the stand.
The Emirates stand is designed to showcase the airline and its multiple brands - Emirates SkyCargo, Skywards, Destination & Leisure Management, Emirates Aviation College and Emirates Engineering.
The Emirates Engineering Centre will showcase its investments in leading-edge facilities to support the airline's rapidly growing fleet. This includes a new jet engine test facility and an engineering centre that will be one of the world's largest civil aviation maintenance centres when completed.
The stand will also feature a large model of the exciting Emirates' Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, which is slated for construction in a 3,600 acre site west of the Blue Mountains in Australia. Earlier this week in Australia, Emirates unveiled the concept plan for this conservation-based luxury resort.
Emirates SkyCargo's area at the stand will be manned with friendly and professional customer service staff who will provide information on the cargo division's new range of products and solutions and help exhibitors confirm cargo space and availability.
Reservation staff will help visitors with their Emirates flight bookings and offer information on the airline's services while a Skywards team will hand out information and applications. The stand will be abuzz with more than 10 plasma screens highlighting information on Emirates and its brands, its sponsorship of FIFA World Cup 2006 and other sports sponsorships. Visitors can access more information on Emirates sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup 2006 at a separate display area set up at the stand.
Emirates' stand, 284 square metres in dimension and more than nine metres in height and which took more than 30 men 10 days to erect, is set to dominate the event. It is made of steel and weighs some 30 tonnes, is fully air-conditioned and has three floors - ground + two levels - including a majlis for VIP visitors.
The stand is covered in see-through material to help visitors visualise the inside of the mighty aircraft. The climate-controlled model, built on three floors, will include two kitchens for cabin crew to serve first-class catering, a fully-networked computer system with Internet links, a DVD-based plasma display system to broadcast promotional messages around the stand, two business lounges and a boardroom.
Emirates and its sister company Dnata also have a much-sought after invitations-only corporate hospitality chalets airside, where both brands can host their VIP guests.