Oh excellent, this is what I wanted to know. So it does follow the same pattern.

Rumours are at LHR is 6th daily flight starting next year... Whilst all five at the moment will be A380 by next year as well.

I believe EK is looking for a third morning departure to LHR, to further relieve the pressure from EK001, which departs at 7.45am. EK029 takes care of the later connections and the overflow from EK001, but an earlier flight around 6.45am could provide connectivity to the very early arrivals and take away demand from the popular EK001.

Also, EK really needs an additional flight to feed into the 1 - 3am departure bank. So far there is only EK002 as EK030 comes in too late and EK008 is really a bit early.

I could see a schedule along the following lines for EK's 6th daily LHR service:

EK031 DXB LHR 0645 1030
EK032 LHR DXB 1230 2315

The main problem will of course be obtaining suitable LHR slots.

Yikes! Your comment, HB-IWC made me search availability. I chose this coming Saturday. Every flight out of London is zeroed out with the exception of a couple of seats available out of LGW. I never cease to be amazed by how many passengers EK is shifting out of London.

PS: MAN, BHX, GLA, NCL are just as busy. Astonishing! Looks like those 90-odd 380s can't arrive soon enough!

Perhaps some became available from two European airlines going bankrupt within the last few weeks? :D

EK004 has plenty of seats on it that day if your wanting to travel! ;) Just checked my self!

Neither Spanair nor Malev flew to LHR. So slots wont come from them. They'll have to come from somewhere else.

I wonder if the slots will come from AC, who last year (or maybe 2010?) supposedly put up their LHR slots as collateral for a credit line. The new owners of the slots may have shopped around to see who would have made them an offer.

Another possibility is BD. BA will not get all of the BD slots; they surely will have to give about half up. I am sure VS will be anxious to get some.

How about an extra frequency to LGW?

QR may have bought one pair of slots since they're starting a fith daily LHR soon; if AC had any to offer. But this article seems to suggest they haven't lost any frequency to LHR meaning no slots lost:
http://www.incentivetravel.co.uk/air...a-this-summer-

But I think its apparent that AC depends on the LHR routes in order for connecting traffic, and these routes are probably money makers!

Perhaps they are the AI slots that AI was trying to sell for a hefty price a few weeks ago? Or are these QR slots?

http://www.flightweek.net/2011/air-i...-a-smart-move/

Emirates to fly direct to Entebbe from Dubai
Posted Friday, February 10 2012 at 00:00

Emirates will, beginning March 25, start direct flights between Entebbe and Dubai as the airline seeks to counter competition that has grown with the entry of carriers vying routes within the Middle East.

In a statement to Daily Monitor, Mr Khalid Al Zarouni, the Emirates Uganda country manager, said the airline had taken the decision on the back of growing traffic between Entebbe and Dubai.


http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/-/...04/-/4vb7ld/-/

Further flight details are as follows:

Dubai (DXB / OMDB) - Entebbe (EBB / HUEN) - Dubai (DXB / OMDB):

UAE0729 DXB-EBB 08:25 12:35 - A332
UAE0730 EBB-DXB 15:40 21:55 - A332

Dubai (DXB / OMDB) - Addis Ababa (ADD / HAAB) - Dubai (DXB / OMDB):

UAE0723 DXB-ADD 10:30 13:30 - A332
UAE0724 ADD-DXB 16:10 21:20 - A332

^

I'd love to see that!!

The current schedule is:

EK 10
LGW-DXB: 20:10 06:55

EK 16
LGW-DXB: 13:35 00:25*

EK 12
LGW-DXB: 09:45 20:30


Something at around 18:00 would be superb if they can get another landing slot!

DUB goes to 777 service from 1st July 2012...

SriLankan Airlines are considering selling/leasing 7 of their 13 LHR slots.
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120212/News/nws_02.html

Lisbon July 9
 

DUBAI, U.A.E., 13th February 2012: Emirates is setting its sights on the land of Vasco da Gama by announcing flights to Portugal from 9th July.

The airline, further extending its European reach, will start a daily service to Lisbon in the south west corner of Europe, just six days after launching flights to Barcelona in neighbouring Spain.

Emirates will serve Lisbon with a modern Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, a far cry from more than 500 years ago when Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama put to sea in search of a passage to India.

Offering First Class, Business Class and Economy Class cabins, EK 191 will leave Dubai at 09:15hrs each day and arrive in Lisbon at 14:45hrs. The return flight, EK 192 departs Lisbon at 17:55hrs and gets into Dubai at 04:35hrs the next day. The Portuguese capital becomes Emirates’ 31st European destination.

Well that was unexpected! What is even more remarkable is this marks the first time a Europe flight leaves from the morning departure bank and does not return into the midnight arrivals bank but rather uses the early morning arrivals window.