Relax while shopping at The Dubai Mall – by flying an Emirates Airline A380

Ever wanted to relax after a busy day's shopping by flying an Airbus A380? Such aspirations have just become a reality – well, almost – thanks to Emirate Airline's new flight simulator in The Dubai Mall.

The Dubai-based airline yesterday announced the opening of the Emirates A380 Experience, hailed as the first A380 flight simulator open to the public in the Middle East, located in the Dubai Mall’s Village section.

The simulator experience will give shoppers the opportunity to try their hands at landing and taking off from 12 of the world’s busiest airports in different weather conditions, and to earn points for their skills in navigating the aircraft.

Guests will also have the chance “to fly past Paris’ historic sites, soar over the canals of Amsterdam and take in Hong Kong’s unmistakable cityscape, all on high-definition screens”.

Thirty-minutes in the simulator costs Dh350 for up to five people at a time. Members of the airline’s Skywards frequent flyer programme are given a 20 per cent discount.

The simulator welcomed its first customers on Friday.

A similar simulator was launched in London’s Greenwich in July last year, to what the airline described as “a strong public reception”.

“Based on what we’ve seen in the UK, we believe the Emirates A380 Experience will be a very popular activity for mall visitors and for team-building activity from corporate groups,” said the Emirates’ chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

“By bringing the Emirates A380 Experience and the Emirates Official Store to Dubai Mall, we aim to connect with a broader audience in a high-traffic lifestyle environment and provide them with a piece of the Emirates brand experience regardless of when they next travel.”

The simulator is located adjacent to Emirates’ new official store, which offers merchandise and the full range of football shirts from its global sponsorships, including Paris St Germain, Arsenal and Real Madrid.

The store is the airline’s 10th store in the Arabian Gulf and its first to be located in a mall.

Emirates is the world’s largest A380 operator, with a fleet of 47 aircraft.

jeverington@thenational.ae

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