The decision was driven by surging demand for travel into Japan given its eased entry restrictions.
Photo: Emirates
Now that Japan’s borders have fully reopened, with visa-free access restored for leisure travelers from more than 60 countries, Emirates will be upgrading capacity on its Dubai–Tokyo Narita route with the deployment of its flagship A380 on a daily basis from November 15. Taking nine hours and 25 minutes to complete the journey, EK 318 from Dubai will depart at 2:55 a.m. and arrive in Narita at 5:20 p.m. local time. The return service, EK 319, will leave Narita at 10:30 p.m. and return to Dubai at 5:30 a.m. the following day; westbound journeys are expected to be significantly longer at 12 hours.
Following the Japanese government’s announcement last month to ease entry restrictions and end mandatory quarantine, Emirates has seen a spike in bookings for flights to its Japanese destinations, Narita and Osaka. The reintroduction of the A380 to Narita will offer more capacity and serve pent-up demand for travel into Japan. Those flying in from the Middle East, Europe, and Africa have even more choice and flexibility through Emirates’ daily service to Osaka, EK 316/317, which utilizes a Boeing 777. This year, the carrier is celebrating two decades of operations to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport. Emirates became the first airline to establish air connectivity between Japan and the UAE as well as the wider Gulf region back in 2002.
The Emirates A380 features 14 first-class Suites and 76 lie-flat seats in business class. Premium customers traveling to and from Narita can look forward to spacious and comfortable cabins, as well as signature products like the Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa. Currently, Emirates’ double-decker superjumbos serve over 30 global destinations, with more routes to be announced soon.
