NZFF

Has this slipped under the radar?

Apparently Emirates are starting their regular A380 flights into NZAA from today...

yeah i only found out at 7: something this morning on the breakfast show. unfortunate it isnt next weekend cos ill be up there then...

Oooh- anyone know what time or from where?
On the NZAA flight arrivels website it has:

EK412 EMIRATES Dubai Sydney 02 Feb 13:30
EK406 EMIRATES Dubai Melbourne 02 Feb 13:40
EK434 EMIRATES Dubai Brisbane 02 Feb 14:15

Am guessing it would be the via Sydney flight?


Edit:
Dubai-based Emirates flies the first scheduled Airbus A380 into Auckland, upping the anti on the trans-Tasman route and the chances of cheap flights.

The A380 is the much hyped double-decked super-jumbo Qantas flew to Auckland last year to give us a look.

Emirates is putting the world's biggest commercial passenger jet into service on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays between Sydney and Auckland. It is effectively a hop from its Australia to London route.

This doubles its capacity into Auckland on these days and puts its trans-Tasman capacity up by 10-20 per cent, said Derek Sadubin, chief operating officer of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.

Air New Zealand says there is more capacity than there has ever been on the Tasman and it is war on prices.

Pacific Blue and Jetstar have increased services with Jetstar starting daily Auckland-Sydney and Auckland-Gold Coast A320 services from April 28.

Jetstar ran a $A99, or $NZ89, one-way special briefly late last year for the flights. In a three-day online sale this month Emirates offered $A99 one-way flights from Australia to New Zealand, excluding tax.

"There will be pressure on pricing over the Tasman for the foreseeable future," Mr Sadubin said.

"We think it is going to be a very difficult environment for all of the airlines in the trans-Tasman market."

The Emirates A380 carries 489 people, with 14 first class suites, 76 business class seats and a lounge to mingle in on the upper level, and 399 economy seats on the lower.

http://nz.biz.yahoo.com/090201/9/ajry.html

Correct,
Arriving today
Looking at the winds, 230@08 Knots so a nice arrival for 23L, Warm sunny weather with a Blue sky.
It won't be as busy as it was when I went to see it for the first time.
It's not that great and it's a very quite beast. However for guys who haven't seen it before.
It's worth it....

It was in the Herald this morning.

I see they couldn't find a picture of an A380 ...

First commercial A380 flight arrives in Auckland

4:00AM Monday Feb 02, 2009
By James Ihaka


Emirates cabin crew members Lisa Beer (L) of New Zealand and Angela Harding had free chocolates for passengers on the first A380 service to Auckland today.

• Building an Airbus A380
• Interior of an Airbus A380

It stands 24m tall, has showers with LCD television screens, lounge areas with bars, and starlit ceilings to help its nearly 500 passengers fight jetlag.

Emirates Airlines' version of the world's biggest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, touches down in Auckland today to begin a three-times-a-week service to Sydney.

Emirates manager New Zealand and Pacific Islands Chris Lethbridge said New Zealanders would be able to experience the latest in aviation technology with the introduction of the A380.

"The A380 is quieter, more spacious and more environmentally friendly," he said.

Mr Lethbridge said there was tremendous interest in the superjumbo and believed the new era of mass transit would be embraced by New Zealand travellers.

"We have no doubt it will be a great success operating out of Auckland," he said.

While those travelling in either first class or business can enjoy a decent night's sleep on seats that convert into fully flat beds or a beverage from one of the bars, economy-class travellers benefit from 14 per cent more leg room and digital widescreen entertainment with hundreds of channels to choose from.

Each cabin also features an advanced mood lighting system, complete with a starlit sky that adjusts throughout a flight to reflect the time at the destination, and to combat the effects of jetlag.

Despite its vast proportions, Emirates says that the A380 burns up to 20 per cent less fuel than a Boeing 747 and is more fuel efficient than a small family car at 3.1 litres per 100 passenger kilometres.

It generates half the noise of a 747-400 on takeoff and produces 75g of carbon dioxide per passenger km - almost half of the European emissions target for cars manufactured in 2008.

Emirates plans to make the A380 transtasman service daily out of Auckland when it has enough aircraft.

* The inaugural flight is due to touch down in Auckland at 1.30pm today.

SPECIFICATIONS - AIRBUS A380

* Length: 73m.
* Height: 24.1m.
* Wing span: 79.8m
* Maximum cruising speed: Mach 0.89
* Generates less than half the noise of a Boeing 747-400 on take off.

EK changed around the flight numbers and flights.

EK412/413 originally routed DXB-SYD-CHC, with the A340-500.

EK418/419 originally routed DXB-BKK-SYD-AKL, with the 777-300ER.

Now EK412/413 flies DXB-SYD-AKL with the A380, of course and 418/419 now flies DXB-BKK-SYD-CHC with the 777-300ER. The surplus A345 is now flying additional MEL flights I believe.

I am quite looking forward to it, I will be flying AKL-SYD on the 13th April on the A380. In Business Class of course

benwynn wrote:

QUOTE (benwynn @ Feb 2 2009, 07:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

of course and 418/419 now flies DXB-BKK-SYD-CHC with the 777-300ER.

Are they doing that now ???
I thought it wasn't for a while they were doing that... Perhaps it was just a long time ago I heard about it

I saw it on approach to 23L from Ardmore earlier today, I wasn't paying much attention and was wondering what everyone was looking at!

Well thanks to Jarred's post, I thought I'd drive down to the lookout like about 1000 other Aucklanders (literally, I had to walk about 1km from where I parked my car at the back of the line on the side of the road down Puhinui drive to get to the lookout- see pic below)



EK412 was expected to arrive at 1.30, but was quarter of an hour late, so when the Emirates A340 came into land just a few minutes before it, all the softcore spotters gasped and went 'ooooh isn't that a biggie' then got in their cars and left!



Then came the moment I'd been looking forward to for a while- getting to see the whale up close for the first time- I'd seen the SQ one almost daily whilst I was in London last year, but always at a great distance, about 1000 feet on approach to Heathrow, so it was good to get a proper gander:

Front:


Back:


Back Airside (look how small the cars and people are in comparison to it!):


Like everyone says, the length of the aircraft looks way out of proportion to it's height! You could even see the top half of the tail fin above the multistory buildings of the international terminal from the traffic lights on the otherside of the main carpark! Will post a few more shots tomorrow, and some better airside photos when I have the opportunity- It will be coming to AA three times a week up untill April (or May), then daily from there on out.

Trolly wrote:

QUOTE (Trolly @ Feb 2 2009, 09:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

EK412 was expected to arrive at 1.30, but was quarter of an hour late, so when the Emirates A340 came into land just a few minutes before it, all the softcore spotters gasped and went 'ooooh isn't that a biggie' then got in their cars and left!

That would have been funny.....when they got home and saw the news story, "Oh, we didn't see that one"

God, thats hilarious

It seems to get smaller every time I see it! Great shots none the less Andrew, will be cool it see some more airside shots.

I wonder when the qantas or singapore airlines A380 is coming into Brisbane AU qld.

Singapore wont be for a very long time, if at all due to the recent upgrade to an A330 (or due upgrade in March)

Qantas, perhaps, but very doubtful, they only fly a daily to LAX (or 6 times weekly?) and A333s to Singapore. Possible upgrade to the 744 on the BNE-SIN route once more surplus 747s are available.

Emirates will probably be the first to come. With the introduction of the direct service BNE-DXB (A340-500) this will probably change to the A380 in the next year or so depending on the aircrafts availability.