Emirates concludes a successful Dubai Airshow 2021, with its latest A380 wowing over 17,000 visitors
THE VOICE OF CHANDIGARH | TRAVEL TRADE REPORTER
Emirates has concluded the 2021 edition of the Dubai Airshow on a positive note, culminating a week of investment announcements, new partnerships forged, and the strengthening of established connections as key aviation players from around the world came together in Dubai to mark a turning point in the industry’s recovery.
This year, Emirates’ presence at the show included participation in the opening flypast; aircraft static displays; an exhibition stand showcasing its latest cabin products, Emirates Flight Training Academy and the Emirates Aviation University; and offering its renowned hospitality for partners and invited guests in the Emirates Chalet.
Emirates was honoured to welcome His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum; His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to its Emirates A380 static display. Emirates’ latest four-class configured A380 remained a popular draw, featuring the airline’s recently introduced Premium Economy Class cabin, and decorated with the ‘United Arab Emirates 50’ livery, celebrating the Golden jubilee of the UAE. The Cirrus SR 22 and Embraer Phenom 100 jets utilized for training flights by the Emirates Flight Training Academy were also on display to visitors.
At the Dubai Airshow, the airline announced a significant investment to retrofit 105 of its Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft with its Premium Economy product, in addition to other cabin enhancements. The entire 18-month retrofit programme, starting in 2022, will take place in Dubai and reinforce the UAE’s status as a centre of aviation excellence. Emirates also signed an agreement with Panasonic to deliver a suite of in-flight entertainment (IFE) solutions for its Premium Economy retrofit programme.
To build its future capabilities, support innovation within the aviation value-chain, and boost sustainability efforts, Emirates also inked several other agreements and formed strategic partnerships with other airlines, suppliers and stakeholders.
On the first day of the show, Emirates and Gulf Air signed an MoU to develop deeper commercial cooperation between both carriers as they look to leverage each other’s networks.
To support its long-term cargo capabilities and help boost global supply chain connectivity, Emirates SkyCargo announced that it will introduce two new Boeing 777Fs into its fleet in 2022, and signed an agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the conversion of four Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft into full freighters, starting in early 2023.
Building on Dubai’s global logistics hub status and emergence as a centre for e-commerce, Emirates SkyCargo also signed a milestone agreement with Emirates Post, to develop an e-commerce end-to-end global logistics platform, with a key focus on serving markets in the Middle East, Africa and West Asia. The first if its kind, this partnership between an airline cargo carrier and a national postal operator combines the global network and capacity strengths of Emirates SkyCargo with the last-mile delivery expertise of Emirates Post.
Supporting its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint, Emirates signed an agreement with GE Aviation committing to develop a programme that will see an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER powered by GE90 engines conduct a test flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by the end of 2022. The milestone collaboration is expected to demonstrate how widebody commercial aircraft using jet fuel made from alternative sources can lower lifecycle CO2 emissions.
Emirates helped to open the flying display of the first afternoon of the airshow with a special flypast comprising of an Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777 adorned with the special UAE 50th and Expo 2020 Dubai liveries, joined by partner UAE commercial airlines, and followed by the UAE’s air-display team, Al Fursan.
The Emirates exhibition stand welcomed over 4,000 visitors who were able to experience the airline’s game-changing Boeing 777-300ER First Class Private Suite, Business Class and Premium Economy Class seat.
