Emirates recently completed the first ever flight using its flagship Airbus A380 to Indonesia with the arrival of the superjumbo at Bali.
On June 1, Emirates EK3688 arrived in Bali during afternoon while the turnaround flight departed as EK369 during the evening. The arrival of the first A380 to/from Indonesia were officials from the Indonesian government, Emirates, and the local Bali Province government.
According to Emirates, a three-class A380 was used on the flights featuring its First Class suites. The airline will continue A380 operations in Bali using a two-class A380 aircraft with 58 lie-flat Business class seats and 557 in Economy.
“We are extremely excited that our iconic A380 aircraft has arrived in Bali. This has been the result of months of careful planning and execution. The commencement of our A380 operations in Indonesia is also an extension of our long-standing commitment to the market, and a testament to the solid partnership we have with the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport and the local authorities. We look forward to offering our A380’s best-in-class services to our valued customers flying to and from Denpasar, while simultaneously serving the increased demand for international travel with the Superjumbo being one of two daily services to the island,” said Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Far East, Emirates.
“The deployment of our iconic A380 aircraft on flights to Denpasar will significantly contribute to serving the increased customer demand. We’re pleased to achieve this milestone that will greatly strengthen our operations in Indonesia, as well as future commercial plans for the market,” said Mohammed Al Attar, Country Manager for Indonesia, Emirates.
Faik Fahmi, President Director of PT Angkasa Pura I, said, “We are pleased to welcome the Emirates A380 aircraft to Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport. This represents a triumphant achievement for Indonesia’s aviation industry, and specifically for Angkasa Pura I. We hope this momentum will serve as a catalyst to recover and revive tourism and the economy in Bali and in Indonesia.”
Handy Heryudhitiawan, General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, said, “the Ministry of Transportation, in collaboration with Angkasa Pura I and the Emirates team, examined the airside and landside facilities at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport to ensure it meets the requirements to serve Airbus A380 flights. We have prepared garbarata or aviobridge with two trunks to allow passengers to board and disembark between the aircraft and the airport terminal while we’ve also facilitated specific parking arrangements surrounding the Airbus A380.”
Emirates first launched non-stop daily flights between Dubai and Bali in 2015, adding to its scheduled flights to Jakarta which first started in 1992. The Dubai-based airline operates 28 weekly flights to Indonesia, and offers connections to 29 domestic points via the two gateways through its partnership with Garuda Indonesia and Batik Air.
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