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In the run up to 2014 - do you think its possible for Emirates to add a 3rd daily and/or change one of the flights to an A380.

Emirates was just today announced as the headline sponsor for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (see video below, pretty good):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UflrLIxvNn4

*is the A380 even an option at GLA with the runway size etc?

marconess

I dont think Glasgows length can handle a fully loaded A388. I think I read somewhere it could handle an empty one if it was required.

I'm also not sure EK would be able to fill the loads up for a daily A380 and two daily B777 flights.

OzTennis

Yes, agreed on Glasgow runway not being suitable for A380. Prestwick can take larger planes and it is only half the distance to travel for us from Galloway compared to Glasgow! Not much hope though, Prestwick airport is being run into the ground by its Kiwi owners Infratil who are trying to flog it and haven't invested much for a long time.

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Yeah im sure i've seen an A380 land in Prestwick (not EK) - it was some sort of airshow. I agree - Prestwick is a dump. Not too far away from here but the local bus station in Glasgow is probably somewhat better in terms of design, decor and lighting!

flygod

Emirates are looking to place orders for at least 100 new 777-ERs and start retiring stuff from their fleet in the next few years.

Four engine equipment - such as the 380 and 747 - is not economic. Note Emirates don't really use their A340s on ultra-long haul.

The way ahead - except where there are slot constraints, where the A380 comes into its own - is the extended ETOPS twins like the 777.

Now, for GLA to take a third service - hey, they have only just doubled their capacity with a second one! Give them time - and perhaps EDI might get a look-in.

ayeaway

What a load of shite, the 380 is not economc. Sir you may find that it gets better milage than your car(per passenger)

And if the 380 was crap then how come EK have just spent a load of cash for more of them.

ETOPS has got bugger all to do with it.

OzTennis

Yep bit of a dump but very handy to park quite close to the terminal and boost Michael O'Leary's profits (Ryanair). Ryanair - that'll be £10 extra to breath, £10 extra to sit in the plane, £20 extra to pay with your credit card, £10 extra to take on hand luggage, £10 extra to go to the toilet, £10 extra .................zzzz

marconess

Preswick is dying on it's behind and I think is now far too behind to ever come close to a decent airport any time in the near future.

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Interesting article by the Scotsman today:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...land-1-2958183

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

By ALASTAIR DALTON
Published on 07/06/2013 08:13

THE world’s largest passenger plane could fly from Scotland for the first time under Emirates airline’s plans to further expand its booming Glasgow-Dubai route.

The double-deck Airbus A380 superjumbo, which carries 517 passengers, had been considered by experts as too large for the Scottish market.

However, Emirates said yesterday the giant aircraft was an option to develop the link over the next three to four years as it becomes increasingly popular among Scots as a one-stop route to Asia and Australia.

An alternative would be to add a third daily flight. Emirates launched a second daily flight from Glasgow last summer.

The news is likely to put further pressure on Edinburgh airport’s quest for a Middle East link after failing to secure one before Emirates strengthened its hold on the Scottish market with last year’s expansion.

The A380 has nearly 50 per cent more seats than the 360 aboard the Emirates’ Boeing 700-300 ER on the Glasgow route.

Emirates vice-president UK Laurie Berryman said: “It changes travel patterns – people go out of their way to travel in it. The aircraft is very quiet, feels less enclosed and has more space.”

The cabin is two-and-a-half feet wider than the Boeing 777.

Mr Berryman said Glasgow airport would require some upgrading to cope with the aircraft, such as to taxiways between the runway and terminal.

Extra air bridges would also be needed for passengers to embark and disembark.

Aviation analysts said bringing an A380 to Scotland would be an ambitious move.

Laurie Price, a consultant with Mott MacDonald and its former head of aviation strategy, said: “They have to deploy the large fleet of A380s they have ordered somewhere, but I would have thought there were other larger and higher-yield markets that would justify A380 deployment before Glasgow.”

John Strickland, of JLS Consulting, said the move could make sense if other airlines cut back on Scottish flights that fed into their long-haul hubs, such as Heathrow.

He said: “It would be a big chunk of capacity to fill but, on the other hand, they could cut back to a once-daily frequency. More positively, the economy could be growing again by then and they will factor in other hypotheses on feeder capacity changes by other hub carriers, not least into London.

“Were this capacity to reduce, then the A380 could be a winner in the Scottish market.”

A spokeswoman for Glasgow airport said: “Any decision by Emirates to increase capacity on the route would be greatly received and we would work closely with the airline to look at ways to enhance facilities.”

RichL

Never say never. Personally I think BHX will be next, either 3 flights or one of the 2 dailies upgraded to an A380 (once the runway is done early next year) but who knows after that...

...then again, seeing as we (BHX) cant even command a flight with a dedicated first class option, maybe you boys north of the border will beat us to it.

ft101

The comments below the article tell you what chance there is of this happening in the near future.

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Whilst staying on the topic of Scotland - Qatar have announced they are starting flights to Edinburgh...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...019495?SThisFB

m3red

I travelled from cpt to dxb 10 hours and not that long ago to Mel on an a340....

Sparrow103

I spoke to the check-in attendant last week. She said it was likely they will add another 777 shortly. Every flight i take with them on this route is full (and I never score upgrades). They can take an A380 at Glasgow and have had one there before (i think it was to celebrate the new route between Glasgow and DXB) but suppose easier initially to put a 777 rather than make the upgrades for A380.

LE4603

Also a possible advantage of a 3rd flight, over upgrading an existing one to an A380, is that it can give more flexibility for connections