Emirates to start daily A380 service to Istanbul

Dubai-based Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has announced that it will introduce the first scheduled commercial Airbus A380 service to Istanbul, Turkey from October 1.

For the first time, travelers to and from Turkey will have the opportunity to regularly enjoy the experience of flying on this iconic double-decker jumbo jet. Emirates will operate the A380 on its daily EK123/124 service. Flight EK123 will depart Dubai at 10:45 and arrive in Istanbul at 14:25. The return flight EK124 will depart Istanbul at 16:25 and arrive in Dubai at 21:50.

Deploying its three-class A380, Emirates will offer a total of 517 seats, with 14 private suites in First Class, 76 mini pods with lie-flat seats in Business Class and 427 spacious seats in Economy Class, increasing capacity per flight by more than 150 passengers compared to the current Boeing 777-300ER.

First Class customers can look forward to Emirates’ private suites and signature onboard Shower Spa, while First and Business Class customers can relax in the popular Onboard Lounge on the upper deck. Passengers in all classes enjoy free wi-fi to stay in touch with family and friends, the industry’s largest seatback screens and Emirates’ multi-award winning ‘ice’ inflight entertainment which currently boasts over 4,500 channels.

“We are excited to finally bring our flagship to Istanbul to join many other top cities we currently serve with the A380. Since Emirates started operating to Turkey 34 years ago, we have carried six million customers on more than 23,000 flights. Bringing the A380 service to Turkey is a major milestone for Emirates and we would like to thank all our partners and stakeholders for their support in making this a reality,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer.

“Since we moved to our new home at Istanbul Airport on 6 April 2019, Emirates’ A380 entry is another milestone for us. I am proud that the world’s largest A380 operator, Emirates, will operate the Dubai-Istanbul route with their flagship, making it the first ever A380 operation at Istanbul Airport and Turkey. This increase will help to boost traffic between our two nations,” said Majid Khan, Vice President Aviation Development of iGA Istanbul Airport.

“In the post-Covid-19 era, through Emirates’ extensive network, it will bring more inbound tourism to Istanbul and Turkey from currently unserved or underserved destinations. We are looking forward to further developing our good relations with Emirates and would like to welcome the Emirates A380 to Istanbul Airport.”

The double-decker A380 is the world’s largest commercial aircraft in service and it is extremely popular with travelers around the globe, with its spacious and quiet cabins. Emirates is the world’s largest operator of A380s, with 118 currently in its fleet.

Emirates has gradually resumed passenger services and will be operating 17 weekly passenger flights from Dubai to Istanbul, including two daily flights and at three time channels – morning, afternoon and evening. The A380 will operate in the morning and will bring the total weekly capacity on the route to 7,000 seats in each direction, thereby offering travelers greater choice and connections to over 120 destinations.