DXB-DUR route
 

Hi guys. Does anyone know when Emirates will be upgrading the plane on the DXB-DUR route? I can't believe they use this plane on a 9 hour flight -very poor entertainment options and old seats. It should only be used on flights of 3 hours or less. I also only fly out of JNB if I have to use Emirates. I have contacted Emirates about the A332 replacement, but am still waiting for a response.

Airlines' don't switch aircraft based on individual's opinion, especially the claim "it should only be used on flights of 3 hours or less" and has poor entertainment options.

Durban airport can NOT handle aircrafts bigger than A330. So what exactly you can't believe?

http://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/svijet...Dubrovnik.html

Just read this in the Croatian paper this morning.

It basically says Croatia, and the UAE have signed an open skies agreement, and that flights from Dubai to Dubrovnic might start soon. The airline that will do the service is most likely EK.

Most airlines only fly to Dubrovnic during the high season which usually last about 6-8 months.

This is great for me cause I spend a lot of time in Dubrovnic, and I'll have a direct flight to Dubai..

you'd get faster imputs from us all if you'd post english translated version-not everyone reads croat language.
(after all english is the international language of choice really)

I had to resort to google translate to do it. :rolleyes: yes your assumption appears correct (at least on the websites authority) if it's true expect further follow on confirmations from other sources.

the statement above refers not only to the old Durban city airport-but the new one at King Shaka International.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Sh...tional_Airport

Ultimately all such will hopefully be eventually upgraded to take an a380, (at least when I was last in Durban airport I asked specifically about a380-800 and if the runways and double dual jet-bridges would come in and I was told ) "they're clearly striving for it"- it really looks like South Africa will take it's own time upgrading old creaky infrastructure-what to speak of the "new" infrastructure) :rolleyes:.

I also remember in 1994-1997 when I was last there that the old CPT airport (not sure about now) had no jet bridges *at all*. you had to walk from the plane to the terminal. New Airports and upgraded infrastructure-all take their own time coming on stream.

that said:

Upgrades in aircraft depend on more then just airport compatibility issues- it is also the availability constraints of aircraft in emirates, they also depend on priorities, (prior commitments to allocate elsewhere more pressing economically) and market forces, (capacity constraints-potential).

I've flown into DURBAN before too, we've gotta be grateful as EK's the international airline that was one of the quickest to jump in first to KSIA -they were flying first into the old durban airport and then May 1 switched over to KSIA . EK's got a direct dxb-dbn flight. "better a blind uncle then none"

Be grateful at least you got a a332 at all, remember ek commercial dept once announced new routes to Durban from Dubai, then pulled out for many months. BE grateful for the little we've got.:D

I gave you a basic/brief translation of the article I read. I'm not going to translate the whole article because I don't have the time to do that. I basically told you what is important.

As for a link to the article, the only reason I posted it was so you can see it really exists, I knew you won't be able to read it. :)

I should have mentioned that I was at the Emirates Launch function for the DXB-DUR route -I was Skywards Gold at the time - and it was there that they announced that the A330-200 would be a temporary measure, and would soon be replaced by the Boeing 777-300ER, as used on the JNB route. So my question is not IF they will replace it, but WHEN. I assumed someone on this forum would have that kind of information, since Emirates' Durban office does not yet.

no-one is asking you to take the time to manually translate something, :rolleyes:but its not strange to ask for english articles next time.:D, simply admitting that would be a good start huh?

Folks, lets stick to the topic which is new routes and changes, not whether or not something should be translated or not. I'm not finger pointing at anyone - I just want to stay on topic. Many thanks

SIMON
(eightblack)
Moderator-EK Forum

There was no english article, only the one in Croatian, so either it was that, or nothing at all. Take your pick ????

Back to topic, I called Daniella, who works in EKs ticket office in Zagreb, Croatia to double check if there was any truth to that article.

She confirmed that she already knew about the open skies agreement being signed last week because a delegation from the UAE came to Croatia, and she was also their host.

I completely support you. I find this insistence on everything being translated amazing. Youy are doing people a ffavour by giving them a gist of what they would not have otherwise!

This Croatia topic is getting even more interesting.

Just talked to a few aviation buffs about the Croatia-UAE open skies agreement, and they said there was more to this.

There have been rumors of Zagreb Airport being offered leasing rights to a foreign operated concession. The UAE is actually looking at the matter with interest, there are other interested parties in the run as well. There is also talk that the UAE were shopping for an Eastern/Central European airport for a while now.

Croatia will enter the European Union January 1st, 2013 which makes it even more interesting.

Croatia Airlines will also be sold/or is for sale. Most likely Lufthansa will want to buy them.

They basically said a deal from the UAE could put a dent into Lufthansa.

Who knows, lets see what happens, maybe its all talk, maybe not.

It would appear from the responses above that you should be asking the airport rather than Emirates as the airport(s) infrastructure cannot cope with larger planes.

DXB-DUR route
 

I'm not sure where ekfb gets his information from :confused:, but KSIA (the new Durban airport which opened on 1 May 2010) has a 3.7-kilometre runway that is capable of accommodating the world's largest aircraft, including the double-decker Airbus A380. He may be confusing it with the old DIA (Durban International Airport), which had a 2.4km runway and was too short to allow a fully laden B744 to take off. I was, however, a regular user of Singapore Airlines' B744 on their SIN-JNB-DUR route when they used to fly here.