Don't forget the 3rd daily flight to MXP from 1st June - op. by an A332.

:o My Bad

Well then it seems Italy is going to have the pleasure of saying good-bye to the last A330 and A343 in Europe.

This is just out of interest.... DWC looking good here in this satellite picture taken on 23.2.12 :cheers:

1 runway done, 5 to go ;)

http://i39.tinypic.com/6ptieh.png




And by 2030, it should look like this :)

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/3...ldcentrala.jpg

So quick summary of 2012.

New destinations for EK:

EZE - Launched quite well and loads are quite strong at the moment.
GIG - Same as EZE.
DUB - Very very very successful launch with EK! Glad to see the upguage in capacity!
HRE
LUN - Interesting choice for EK, but probably worth it due to the growing Asia-African ties
DFW
SEA
SGN
BCN
LIS

New destinations/frequency for EK's A380

KUL
LHR 029/030 - was supposed to have happened already, but glad to see it happening soon enough!
LHR 005/006
BKK 372/373 - for March only
NRT
AMS
MEL

Aircraft deliveries for EK
10 388s making the total 30 by the end of the year for EK.
12 77Ws (minimum) can anyone confirm actual number?

So by the looks of it 6 A380s have been assigned to routes out of the available 10 for 2012. So could we speculate where the next 4 will go?

Predictions for 2012
ORD - happening July 6?
ARN/OSL - Given the strong loads for CPH, ARN or OSL seems like the next logical move into the Nordic regions.
TPE - Seems like a given, just a matter of the whole China situation
BRU
IEV - Was definitely talked about for a while, not sure whether FZ's move to IEV prevented this in the near future. But EK definitely said it had high demand.
IAD/MIA - If ORD doesn't happen.

SFO - Upgauge to the 380? Tim Clark said it would happen by the end of 2012, or early 2013.
SIN - One of the flights be upguaged to a 380, makes sense as it is a high yielding market.
BKK - Another upguage to the 380? Full nearly year round! Or maybe a frequency increase?
DME - Upgauge? Seems like a matter of time, as many have hinted its going to start in October.
MAN - Definitely talked about for 4th daily and additional 380.
LHR - As I said previously all 5 to be 380s?

I'm sorry, I can't tell where the runways are or terminal on this picture.
And I think you should post those pics on Building Progress of DXB and DWC, that is if it isn't already up there, as at least the second is a pretty widely found pic.

It's meant to eventually have three terminals, but only one can be seen in this model - it's also shown on the satellite picture I posted. It will have 6 runways (R1-R6. R1 is complete now) and 8 concourses (C1-C8) when completed after 2030.



http://i43.tinypic.com/332qjoo.jpg

What about a 6th daily to LHR, also with a 380 ;)

I think OSL, IAD and ORD are strong contenders for H2 2012. TPE as well!

What about PHX, LAS, DTW, MIA, MCO? Is EK will consider to started more new route sometime in a distant the future.

As for LHR. It will get more extremely overcrowded who flown from DXB-LHR everyday. The flight is always oversold everyday. There is no seat available. Isn't EK will have all 5 or 6 A380? It will gets more than 3,000 passengers a day who flown DXB-LHR. I think ithey will get bumped off the flight. They will give you a $400 volunteer.

Yep, they already delivered last night. What's next A380 delivered? I know #22 (A6-EDV) A380 will delivered on March 29, 2012.

"New destinations for EK:

EZE - Launched quite well and loads are quite strong at the moment.
GIG - Same as EZE.
DUB - Very very very successful launch with EK! Glad to see the upguage in capacity!
HRE
LUN - Interesting choice for EK, but probably worth it due to the growing Asia-African ties
DFW
SEA
SGN"

Don`t forget LIS and BCN !!

"So could we speculate where the next 4 will go?"

There are many options:
I can imagine FRA, MXP, MAD and DME!
Or even a second flight to JFK, CDG or MAN

Don't forget GRU for an A380, and for new destinations YVR and MEX as well as other N. American destinations previously mentioned.
Taking advantage of poor situation of Indian carriers, maybe ATQ, IXC and GOI.
Perhaps also HAN, HKT and CEB in SE Asia?

EK should have 31 A380s in the fleet by the end of this year and with the latest announcement of AMS, 25 of those have been accounted for in the flight programs.

That said, since at least 2, and probably even 3 of the deliveries will happen towards the very end of the year, we can assume that EK will only incorporate those aircraft in the schedules per January 01. That leaves another 3 aircraft to be assigned for route upgauges between October 01 and December 01.

I believe these are some of the contenders for these upgauges:

EK007/008 London Heathrow
EK015/016 London Gatwick
EK045/046 Frankfurt
EK087/088 Zurich
EK133/134 Moscow
EK261/262 Sao Paulo
EK334/335 Manila
EK770/771 Cape Town
EK783/784 Lagos

So we've got A6-EDV coming on March 29th - Config: LR

Then we've got A6-EDW which is expected in either late April or early May. She's also looking like she'll be in the LR configuration.

I don't see them putting a 3 class 380 on Manila. And I think it's more likely 380 capacity to LHR will be maxed out before LGW starts getting any. But anyway, a lot of this discussion should be in the speculations thread - mod should we move it there?