First A380 service

Manchester airport is to become the world's first regional gateway to operate a scheduled A380 service. Emirates will introduce the double-decker on its direct routing to Dubai from September 1st. Listen to our audio interviews with Andrew Cornish, Manchester airport's managing director and Conrad Clifford, Emirates' UK vice-president.

Emirates has decided that it needs more capacity on its existing double daily B777 between Manchester airport and Dubai - a route that has proven to be particularly popular among business travellers, Manchester airport's managing director, Andrew Cornish told routes News.

From September 1, Emirates will replace this service with a daily A380 operation - boosting capacity by an extra 75 seats a day, but perhaps more significantly, targeting additional premium traffic by bringing a first class cabin product to the Manchester market. The airline has served Manchester from Dubai for two decades.

Last year UK CAA data shows that there were 521,719 passengers flown between Manchester and Dubai, up 6% on the previous year. IATA BSP data (Airport IS) shows that Emirates carried over 104,000 passengers between the city pairs in the period between January 2009 and 2010 showing that nearly 80% of the market is connecting traffic. However it also shows that a total of 140,000 flew between the city pairs indirectly, highlighting that traffic still travels via other connecting points between Manchester and Dubai.

Manchester airport has already invested close to £10 million in order to make the A380 service possible through infrastructure upgrades.

Andrew Cornish, Manchester airport's managing director shares his perspective with Routes News on why the investment is worthwhile.

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Hear what Conrad Clifford, Emirates' UK vice-president also had to say.

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