Emirates expands its A350 deployment to Asia-Pacific and north Africa

Middle Eastern carrier Emirates is set to expand its Airbus A350-900 network to another seven destinations, including its first in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. It will operate the twinjets to four Middle Eastern and north African cities – Baghdad, Amman, Dammam and Tunis – as well as Oslo, Istanbul and the Asian destination of Ho Chi Minh City. All the A350 deployments will take place over the course of 1 June to 1 September, beginning with Tunis and Amman. The Dubai-based carrier adds that it will increase A350 frequency to Bahrain and Kuwait as part of the roll-out, and bring forward by a month its plan to introduce the type to Bologna. “Introduction of this aircraft and layering it on existing route schedules…enables Emirates to maintain a compelling competitive position as the airline of choice for discerning travellers,” says Emirates deputy president Adnan Kazim. Emirates is operating the A350s with a three-class configuration comprising 312 seats including 32 in business-class and 21 in the premium-economy cabin.<br/>