Emirates A380 on Dubai-Beijing route

China's Beijing Capital International Airport will see its first A380 aircraft flying in when Emirates launches the 517-seater superjumbo on the Dubai-Beijing route starting August 1.

The Beijing services would follow Emirates' series of A380-firsts to New Zealand, Thailand and Korea, the Dubai carrier said yesterday in a statement. Currently, Emirates operates double-daily services each to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and daily services to Guangzhou.

"The A380 flight offers significant economic benefits to China by providing seamless connections between China and Africa, Europe and the Middle East via Emirates' Dubai hub," Tim Clark, President, Emirates, said in a statement. He added that trade between Dubai and China is on a "steady rise, recording an average annual growth of 36 per cent".

Emirates' A380 is further expected to support the growing demand for air travel to and from China through capacity enhancements of almost 50 per cent, which "will not be sufficient", said Clark.

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