Emirates has doubled its A380 capacity to New York’s John F. Kennedy and Paris’ Charles De Gaulle airports with a twice daily A380 service from Dubai now operating into both cities.
Upgrading capacity into New York by 1848 seats per week, flights EK203 and EK204 will now be operated by the Airbus A380-800.
EK203 departs from Dubai at 0225hrs, arriving at JFK at 0745hrs.
The return sector EK204 leaves JFK at 1040hrs arriving in Dubai at 0810hrs the next day. In Paris, an additional 2198 seats per week will be added; EK 075 leaves Dubai at 1500hrs and arrives in Paris at 1930hrs.
The return flight, EK 076 departs Paris at 2110hrs and gets into Dubai at 0640hrs the next day.
“The decision to commit a second A380 to both New York and Paris is a clear indication of customer demand, for the state-of-the-art aircraft and these two popular destinations,” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ executive vice president, passenger sales worldwide.
“New York and Paris are both important routes for Emirates and its customers. Adding larger capacity aircraft is central to helping us meet growing passenger demand and will also boost economic support for American and French international commerce.”
With the world’s largest fleet of A380 aircraft at 31 and another 59 on order, Emirates continues to set the pace for A380 deployment.
In the four years since the Emirates A380 has been in operation over 11.5 million passengers have flown on the aircraft, covering 169 million kilometers. In 2012 alone, Emirates added 11 A380’s to its fleet.
The Emirates A380 fleet currently serves 21 destinations with new cities to be announced in the coming months.
Emirates has the largest number of A380s on order which will total 90 by 2017.
In January 2013, the world’s first purpose-built facility for the Emirates A380 will open at Dubai International Airport, allowing faster boarding and smoother connections.
Emirates doubles A380 capacity to Paris and NY
Emirates doubles A380 capacity to Paris and NY
Saudi Arabia opens 3rd round of Exploration Empowerment Program
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, has opened applications for the third round of the Exploration Empowerment Program, part of ongoing efforts to accelerate mineral exploration in the Kingdom, reduce early-stage investment risks, and attract high-quality investment from local and international mining companies.
The third round of the Exploration Empowerment Program offers a comprehensive support package targeting exploration companies and mineral prospecting license holders.
The initiative aims to lower investment risks for projects and support a faster transition from prospecting to development.
"The program provides coverage of up to 70 percent of the total salaries of Saudi technical staff, such as geologists, during the first two years, increasing to 100 percent thereafter, in line with program requirements.
This support aims to develop talent, build national capabilities in mineral exploration, promote job localization, and facilitate the transfer of geological knowledge.
The application for the third round opened on Jan. 14, allowing participants to benefit from the Kingdom’s attractive investment environment, its stable legal framework, and streamlined regulatory structures, as well as integrated infrastructure that supports the transition from mineral resources to operational mines.
The ministry has set the timeline for the third round, with the application period running from Jan. 14 to March 31.
This will be followed by the evaluation, approval, and signing of agreements from April 1 to May 31, with the eligible projects set to be announced between June 1 and July 31 of the same year.
The program stages include submitting exploration data during the reimbursement and payment phase from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, followed by technical and financial verification of work programs and approval of the disbursement of support funds in January 2027.
The exploration data will then be published on the National Geological Database in April 2027.
The ministry emphasized that the EEP focuses on supporting the exploration of strategically important minerals with national priority. It also contributes to enhancing geological knowledge by providing up-to-date data that meets international standards, helping investors make informed decisions and supporting the growth of national companies and local supply chains.
The ministry urged companies to apply early to benefit from the program’s third round, which coincided with the fifth edition of the International Mining Conference, which was held from Jan. 13 to 15.
