Emirates operates milestone demonstration flight powered with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Conducted in partnership with GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent
First demonstration flight in Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100% SAF in one of two engines

Emirates has operated its first milestone demonstration flight on a Boeing 777-300ER, powering one of its engines with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The flight took off from Dubai International Airport (DXB), and was commanded by Captain Fali Vajifdar and Captain Khalid Nasser Akram, flying for more than one hour over the Dubai coastline.

The demonstration flight powered by SAF holds particular significance as the UAE declares 2023 the ‘Year of Sustainability’. The year will showcase the UAE’s commitment to seek innovative solutions to challenges such as energy, climate change and other issues related to sustainability. The flight supports collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying and help advance the UAE’s sustainability objectives.

Emirates’ demonstration flight, the first in the Middle East and North Africa to be powered by 100% SAF, supports broader efforts to reduce lifecycle CO₂ emissions as the industry looks to scale up its use of SAF. The flights will also help to refine the playbook for future SAF demonstrations, and will also support future certification where 100% drop-in SAF fuel is approved for aircraft. Currently, SAF is approved for use in all aircraft, but only in blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel.

Emirates worked alongside partners GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste and Virent to procure and develop a blend of SAF that closely replicates the properties of conventional jet fuel. At each blend ratio, a host of chemical and physical fuel property measurements were carried out. After multiple lab tests and rigorous trials, they arrived at a blending ratio that mirrored the qualities of jet fuel. Eighteen tonnes of SAF were blended, comprised of HEFA-SPK provided by Neste (hydro processed esters and fatty acids and synthetic paraffinic kerosene) and HDO-SAK from Virent (hydro deoxygenated synthetic aromatic kerosene). The 100% SAF supplied one GE90 engine, with conventional jet fuel supplying the other engine.

The test flight further demonstrates the compatibility of the specially blended SAF as a safe and reliable fuel source. The promising outcome of this initiative also adds to the body of industry data and research around SAF blends in higher proportions, paving the way for standardization and future approval of 100% drop-in SAF as a replacement for jet fuel, well above the current 50% blend limit.

Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer, Emirates Airline said: “This flight is a milestone moment for Emirates and a positive step for our industry as we work collectively to address one of our biggest challenges – reducing our carbon footprint. It has been a long journey to finally see this demonstration 100% SAF flight take off. Emirates is the first passenger airline in the world to operate a Boeing 777 powering a GE engine with 100% SAF. Such initiatives are critical contributors to industry knowledge on SAF, and provide data to demonstrate the use of higher blends of SAF for future regulatory approvals. We hope that landmark demonstrations flights like this one, will help open the door to scale up the SAF supply chain and make it more available and accessible across geographies, and most importantly, affordable for broader industry adoption in the future.”

“My congratulations go to Emirates on this achievement. SAF is critical to helping the aviation industry reach its goal to be net zero by 2050 and collaborations like this to test 100% SAF globally will help bring us closer to this target,” said Aziz Koleilat, vice president of global sales and marketing in the Middle East for GE Aerospace.

“Boeing congratulates Emirates on its successful flight tests using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF),” said Omar Arekat, Vice President, Commercial Sales and Marketing, Middle East, The Boeing Company. “SAF will play a critical role in the aviation industry’s commitment to be net zero by 2050, requiring strong industry collaboration. We were proud to partner with Emirates on these tests and look forward to further working with our partners to enable the widespread use of SAF across the globe.”

“We are excited to apply our technology to such a milestone demonstration. The 331-500 auxiliary power unit or APU is an integral part of the Boeing 777 aircraft system. The APU provides main engine starting, environmental control and emergency back-up systems for the aircraft on the ground and in-flight. It uses the same fuel as the main propulsion engines. Currently the APU is certified to run on only 50% SAF, so this demonstration is a big first step in showing full APU functionality and capability when running on 100% SAF,” said Mosab Alkubaisy, Director of Airlines, Honeywell Aerospace Middle East.

Jonathan Wood, Vice President EMEA, Renewable Aviation at Neste, said: “Neste is working closely together with partners to accelerate the availability and use of SAF, which plays a crucial role in reducing the emissions of air travel. To fully leverage its decarbonization potential we need to enable 100% SAF use and test flights like this Emirates flight are an important step towards 100% SAF certification. It also shows the importance of cooperation to achieve the emission reduction goals and Neste is committed to play our part in ensuring Dubai and the UAE continue to be a leader on sustainability and emission reductions in the aviation sector, as we increase our SAF production capacity to 1.5 million tons per annum by the end of this year. We look forward to growing the supply of SAF to Dubai.”

“Virent’s technology converts widely available, plant-based sugars into the compounds that make 100% sustainable aviation fuel possible, without the need to blend with traditional jet fuel,” said Dave Kettner, president and general counsel of Virent, Inc. “Along with our parent company Marathon Petroleum Corporation, we are committed to meeting today’s energy needs while investing in an energy diverse future, and today’s flight is a great example of this commitment. We’re excited about this opportunity to work with our forward-thinking colleagues at Emirates, GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell and Neste as we demonstrate that we can power sustainable aviation without modifying today’s modern airline engines or the infrastructure that serves the airline industry.”

His Excellency Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO at ENOC praised the achievement as it coincides with 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’, which was announced by the UAE’s President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It also represents a major step towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions and achieving climate neutrality.

His Excellency added: “At ENOC, we prioritise working closely with our strategic partners to implement a national roadmap for sustainable aviation fuel. This not only aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, but also contributes to achieving the UAE’s goals in climate neutrality, enhances the efficiency and conservation of fuel, as well as positions the UAE as a regional hub for sustainable aviation fuel. Playing an active role in supplying Dubai Airports with aviation fuel, ENOC Group is participating in this achievement by securing and blending sustainable aviation fuel, which will help to secure this type of fuel in the UAE in the future.”

Emirates is committed to supporting initiatives that help minimise its CO₂ emissions, and the airline has already made great strides in fuel efficiency and conservation as well as operational advancements across its operations. The airline also supports IATA’s collective industry commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and is exploring opportunities to augment operational fuel efficiency, SAF, low carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and renewable energy.

The airline already runs a comprehensive fuel efficiency programme that actively investigates and implements ways to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and emissions, wherever it is operationally feasible. Some of the programme’s most significant initiatives include the operation of “flex tracks”, or flexible routings – partnering with air navigation service providers to create the most efficient flight plan for each flight. These efforts have been ongoing since 2003, and Emirates has been working with IATA to extend this routing system across the world as a standard operating procedure where possible.

Emirates’ first flight powered by SAF blended with jet fuel was in 2017, operating from Chicago O’Hare airport on a Boeing 777. It received its first SAF-powered A380 delivery in 2020, and also uplifted 32 tonnes of SAF for its flights from Stockholm that same year.

Emirates and United Expand Market Presence Through New Agreement

Emirates customers to connect on United to nearly 200 new cities in the Americas, through Chicago, San Francisco and Houston

Emirates and United announced a historic commercial agreement today that will enhance each airline’s network and give their customers easier access to hundreds of new destinations* within the United States and around the world.

From November, Emirates customers flying into Chicago, San Francisco, and Houston – three of the biggest business hubs in the U.S – will be able to easily connect onto United flights to and from nearly 200 cities across the Americas on a single ticket.

At the eight other U.S. airports served by Emirates – Boston, Dallas, LA, Miami, JFK, Orlando, Seattle and Washington DC – both airlines will have an interline arrangement in place.

United will launch a new direct flight between Newark and Dubai starting in March 2023 – from there, customers will be able to travel on Emirates or its sister airline flydubai to more than 100 cities. Tickets for United’s new Dubai flight are now on sale.

Emirates and United announced their agreement today at a ceremonial event at Dulles International Airport, hosted by United CEO Scott Kirby and Emirates President Sir Tim Clark, featuring United and Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and flight crews from each carrier.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “Two of the biggest, and best-known airlines in the world are joining hands to fly people better to more places, at a time when travel demand is rebounding with a vengeance. It’s a significant partnership that will unlock tremendous consumer benefit and bring the United Arab Emirates and the United States even closer. We welcome United’s return to Dubai next year, where our hub Dubai essentially becomes a gateway for United to reach Asia, Africa and the Middle East via the combined network of Emirates and flydubai. We look forward to developing our partnership with United for the long term.”

Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines said: “This agreement unites two iconic, flag carrier airlines who share a common commitment to creating the best customer experience in the skies. United’s new flight to Dubai and our complementary networks will make global travel easier for millions of our customers, helping boost local economies and strengthen cultural ties. This is a proud moment for both United and Emirates employees, and I look forward to our journey together.”

Customers of both airlines can soon book these connecting flights on a single ticket – making check-in and luggage transfer faster and easier. For example – travellers will be able to visit United.com or use the United app to book a flight from New York/Newark to Karachi, Pakistan or go to Emirates.com to book a flight from Dubai to Atlanta or Honolulu.

This agreement will also give the loyalty program members of both airlines more opportunities for more rewards: Emirates Skywards members can soon earn miles when they travel on United operated flights, and United Mileage Plus members flying on United’s New York/Newark to Dubai flight will be able to earn and redeem miles when connecting beyond on Emirates and flydubai.

Eligible customers travelling on codeshare flights will also soon enjoy access to Emirates and United lounges. More details on frequent flyer awards and lounge sharing benefits will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Both airlines have recently announced significant investments in the customer experience. Emirates will retrofit more than 120 aircraft as part of a $2 billion effort that includes elevated meal choices, a brand-new vegan menu, a ‘cinema in the sky’ experience, cabin interior upgrades, and sustainable choices. At United, the airline will add 500 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft to its fleet with a focus on a new signature interior that includes seat-back screens in every seat, larger overhead bins, Bluetooth connectivity throughout, and the industry’s fastest available in-flight WiFi.

Emirates to introduce Premium Economy to five more cities with newly retrofitted A380s starting from December

Emirates today announced plans to debut its newly retrofitted A380s featuring its latest Premium Economy cabins to five new cities from December – New York JFK, San Francisco, Melbourne, Auckland and Singapore. The airline will also add more Premium Economy seats on services to London Heathrow and Sydney, as its newly enhanced aircraft sporting refreshed cabins roll into scheduled service.

The airline aims to offer customers more opportunities to experience its highly acclaimed Premium Economy product, and its latest deployment plans will also see 85 A380s back in the sky by December, well-timed to serve the year-end travel demand.

Emirates’ enhanced A380s with Premium Economy to New York JFK, San Francisco, Melbourne, Auckland and Singapore will operate as follows:

To New York JFK, Emirates will operate with its newly retrofitted A380 on EK203 and EK 204, starting from 1 December.
To Auckland, Emirates will debut its Premium Economy cabin on EK 448 and EK 449, starting 15 January 2023.
From 1 February 2023, Melbourne will become the second Australian destination to be served with the signature Emirates A380 featuring Premium Economy. Services will be deployed on EK 406 and EK 407.
San Francisco will become the second US destination to be served by the retrofitted A380 with refreshed interiors on EK 225 and EK 226, starting on 15 February 2023.
Emirates’ enhanced A380 with Premium Economy will land in Singapore for the first time on 1 March 2023, operating as EK 354 and EK 355.

Emirates will also update its schedules to London Heathrow, Sydney and New York JFK with its retrofitted A380 aircraft operating on the following services:

From 15 December 2022, Sydney will become the first city in the Emirates network to offer Premium Economy seats on all flights, with the introduction of the airline’s retrofitted aircraft on EK 414 and EK 415.
From 1 January 2023, London Heathrow will receive its third daily service with Premium Economy, with the new product debuting on EK 005 and EK 006.
From 15 March 2023, Emirates will operate its second A380 with Premium Economy to New York JFK on EK 201 and EK 202.
Emirates will also start A380 services with a Premium Economy debut to Christchurch from 26 March 2023, as an extension of the Dubai to Sydney service, operating with EK 412 and EK 413.

Scaling up A380 operations

With travel demand the strongest it’s been in more than two years, Emirates will provide customers more choice and a better experience as it ramps up A380 services to 42 destinations by the end of March 2023. In tandem, the airline is optimising its network to meet robust demand and enhancing its existing schedules to over 400 A380 departures from Dubai, offering 460,000 weekly A380 seats by March 2023, including 81,000 seats across its premium cabins, offering the very best in customer comfort.

By year end, the airline will be serving close to a third of its network with its flagship on 85 A380s as it unlocks more destinations like Houston, Bengaluru, Perth, Auckland, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, with additional cities to be announced in the coming weeks. With an expanded list of cities, Emirates will have recovered 75% of its pre-pandemic A380 network. The airline is also adding frequencies to popular cities already served by its flagship, bringing greater resiliency and stability to its operation.

Raising the bar for premium air travel

Since Emirates debuted its Premium Economy Class to London, Paris and Sydney, customer response has been overwhelmingly positive with demand exceeding expectations, demonstrating its appeal and willingness of travellers to trade-up and try the quiet luxury and meticulously customised experience it offers.

On a four-class Emirates A380, the Premium Economy cabin is located at the front of the main deck with 56 seats laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration. In the cabin, every inch of space anticipates customer needs with a generous seat pitch and width for working and relaxing, and customised features that offer function and convenience like in-seat charging points and a side cocktail table. The experience is rounded off with expertly curated in-flight amenities, an inventive menu and extensive beverage options.

The Emirates A380 experience has long been taking passenger comfort to new levels, with an extensive suite of products that turn the journey itself into a destination, including one of the industry’s largest screens for customers to enjoy the airline’s award-winning in-flight entertainment system, ice. Customers travelling in First and Business Class cabins can enjoy the aircraft’s signature features such as the popular Onboard Lounge and fully flat seats in Business Class, as well as private suites and Shower Spas in First Class.

Emirates recently announced plans to kick-off of its fleet retrofit programme, consisting of a multi-billion dollar investment to ensure customers continue to have the best experience in the sky. Starting from November, the airline will begin intensive work to upgrade and retrofit the interior cabins of 67 Airbus A380 and 53 Boeing 777 aircraft, with one aircraft rolling out into service every 16 days. By 2025, nearly 4,000 new Premium Economy seats will be installed, 728 First Class suites refurbished and over 5,000 Business Class seats upgraded to a new style and design.

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the A380, with 118 double-decker aircraft in its fleet. Since A6-EVF, the first A380 reactivated in 2020 began flying, the operating fleet has clocked in more than 31,000 trips worldwide, carrying over 10 million passengers.

Emirates to operate extra flights for upcoming Hajj season

Karachi – With the significant demand for air travel during Hajj, Emirates is deploying extra flights to ensure more connectivity for the scores of pilgrims making their way to the Holy City of Makkah. Emirates will be operating special flights to Jeddah and Medina during the upcoming Hajj season to carry pilgrims for this special period.

Emirates will be deploying 31 additional flights to Jeddah and double daily flights to Medina from 23 June to 20 July to help transport pilgrims to carry out one of the key pillars of Islam. These services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has greatly expanded its Hajj participation this year to nearly a million pilgrims. This year, Emirates has seen strong demand for Hajj travel from Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malaysia, the UK, US, UAE and Algeria.

The special services are available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa. Pilgrims must also be under the age of 65, hold a valid vaccination certificate with a vaccine authorised by the Saudi Ministry of Health, and must also carry a negative PCR test done within 72 hours of departure.

A pilgrim-centric experience with Emirates

Given the significance of the once-in-a-lifetime Hajj experience, the airline’s teams have been working hard to ensure that every detail of the pilgrim’s experience is aligned with the tenets of their faith.

On the ground in Dubai, Emirates has a special Hajj airport team to help manage check-in, transfers, and helping to facilitate a seamless and convenient on ground experience for Hajj pilgrims. Emirates has also set up dedicated check-in and transfer counters for Hajj passengers transiting in Dubai. For Hajj travellers having a longer layover in Dubai before continuing on to Jeddah or Medina, dedicated teams are on hand to escort those groups and support them on all of their arrival formalities.

From the moment pilgrims step onto the aircraft, a range of initiatives have been planned in keeping with the values and traditions of the Hajj journey.

Extra provisions to accommodate Hajj traveller needs such as ablution cleansing rituals, unperfumed towels, advising passengers while en route to Jeddah about when they have entered Al Miqat zones (state of sanctity) and changing of Ihram robes through special PAs, and other arrangements have been planned to ease their journey and ready them for the rest of their pilgrimage. Emirates’ award winning ice system will also feature a special Hajj video that covers safety, general formalities and information about performing the Hajj pilgrimage. Pilgrims will also be able to tune into the Holy Quran channel, in addition to other religious content.

On flights from Jeddah, passengers can check-in up to 5 litres of holy water (Zamzam), which will be placed in special areas in the cargo hold.

Emirates launches powerful platform for customers to browse and book bespoke Dubai and UAE itineraries

Karachi, 13 April 2022 – Emirates has launched Dubai Experience, its powerful and intuitive platform for customers to easily browse, create and book their own customised itineraries including flights, hotel stay, visits to key attractions, and other dining and leisure experiences in Dubai and the UAE.

Customers can choose from pre-curated itineraries if they are first-time visitors, or if they have specific interests in sports, culture, adventure, or entertainment and the arts. They can also have fun creating their own unique itineraries from scratch, pulling from an extensive list of recommended activities and dining options, or mix and match, using pre-curated itineraries as a starting point.

Whether it is one of the many popular free attractions across the UAE, or one that requires pre-booking and payment, the easy-to-use itinerary planner provides details such as estimated duration, location map and cost, allowing customers to confidently plan and maximise their Dubai and UAE visit.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are proud to promote the very best that Dubai and the UAE have to offer on Dubai Experience, which is fully integrated with emirates.com. This powerful platform offers our customers the ability to plan their Dubai journeys and stopovers, and benefit from exclusive rates and expertly curated recommendations.

“Through the Dubai Experience platform, Emirates aims to add value to our customers and enrich their journeys, and ultimately drive more people to visit our beautiful home and hub in the UAE. We will continue to add more exciting content on Dubai Experience, and look at opportunities to launch it to customers in more markets.”

Today, Emirates’ customers in 19 countries including Pakistan can build rich and customised itineraries from a selection of over 100 hotels and 200 activities – all of which can be added onto an existing Emirates flight booking or created around a new one.

Customers who plan and book their journeys via the Dubai Experience platform can enjoy:

Flight benefits: 10% savings on their new Emirates flight bookings
Hotel benefits: Exclusive hotel benefits including discounted rates, free cancellation up to 72 hours before check-in, complimentary breakfast, and 24-hour check-in at over 100 hotels, ensuring that their room is ready no matter what time they arrive in Dubai
Activities: Discounted rates and exclusive pricing on over 200 activities
One-stop planner on emirates.com: A unique itinerary planner with an hour-by-hour view of the trip, allowing customers to plan their travel in a granular way that inspires confidence and maximises their time. Customers can view and add to their itinerary at any time on emirates.com through their flight booking
Curated recommendations: Over 200 top Dubai suggestions including free things to do, pay at the door options, and pre-pay attractions for complete convenience, with more listings being added all the time. Dining recommendations can also be booked directly with the restaurant and added to the bespoke itinerary

Explore Emirates’ Dubai Experience platform: www.emirates.com/dubai-experience/