Clark Airport welcomes Emirates A380

Aviation Updates Philippines – Although the skies were gloomy and dark on a Wednesday afternoon, Emirates’ Airbus A380 pierced through the clouds as it made its way for the type’s first commercial flight at Clark International Airport.

To celebrate with the 30th anniversary of Emirates’ presence in the Philippines, the one-off flight was announced over a week ago, exciting aviation enthusiasts in the country to welcome what is currently the world’s largest passenger aircraft.

Flight EK-2520 departed from Dubai International Airport at around 3:03 am local time and landed in Clark more than eight hours later at 3:23 pm local time. The flight then left back to UAE at 6:46 pm local time.

As the flight taxied to its gate, the aircraft was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute from Clark’s aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) unit. According to an Inquirer report, 405 passengers, mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), balikbayans, and seafarers boarded the particular flight. 

The Airbus A380, specifically A6-EVI, entered the ramp after landing at around 3:31 pm local time. Since the airport currently does not have the facility to accommodate the humongous aircraft, it was parked in a remote stand. It was serviced with air stairs—a unique photo opportunity for passengers.

“We are proud to fly our first scheduled A380 service to Clark, in the year we are celebrating our 30th anniversary of serving the Philippines. Emirates has shared a long-standing relationship with the country and our commitment to it and our customers remains stronger than ever,” Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations - Far East, Emirates said.

Emirates has been serving the Philippines since 1990 with flights to Manila it still operates to-date. Previously, the airline also sent a one-off flight of the Airbus A380 to Manila back in 2014, marking the first passenger superjumbo flight to the Philippines.

Photo from Emirates