This year, Emirates celebrated 15 years since it took delivery of its first Airbus A380.
It happened in July 2008, when an aircraft with the registration A6-EDA arrived from Hamburg. It then took its inaugural flight for the carrier on August 1, flying between Dubai and New York.
That specific jet is no longer in operation, but about 90 are in service, with a total of 116 in Emirates' fleet.
Passenger capacity on the jets ranges from 484 to 615 with room for up to 24 crew. They fly to 50 destinations globally.
No A380s operated during the pandemic for the airline. However, despite Airbus announcing it has ceased production of the model, they are enjoying a recent resurgence. The last A380 was delivered to Emirates in December 2021.
Emirates isn't the only airline that favours this model. Etihad Airways reintroduced its superjumbo fleet this summer and Qatar Airways also flies the aircraft in the region. International carriers such as British Airways and Singapore Airlines also have them.
“It's an iconic aircraft. Customers absolutely love it. They go out of their way to fly on it," Richard Jewsbury, an Emirates executive, told industry publication Simple Flying this week. "People enjoy the experience, but also enjoy seeing it in the sky as well. It's just wonderful to see it fly and prosper."
From the perspective of the UK market, it's an important aircraft, he said, with about 120,000 passengers a week travelling with Emirates in and out of the UK – 80 per cent of those on A380s.
There are no plans to discontinue this aircraft from the company's portfolio any time soon. "We took delivery of our last A380 in December 2021," Jewsbury added. "That's just around 18 months old. So, the more recently delivered aircraft are going to be around for a while.
"It's going to be the late 2030s, maybe early 2040s, before we wave goodbye to the last A380. They're going to be here for the foreseeable future.”
The airline is also in the process of upgrading 67 A380s, along with 53 Boeing 777s, as part of a multi-billion-dollar plan to introduce premium economy class, new seats, finishes and flooring, with work set to finish in 2025.
The A380 is the largest passenger aircraft in history and its floor space spans about 550 square metres over its two decks.
The first test flight took place in 2005 and the aircraft entered service with Singapore Airlines in October 2007. The model has flown more than 800,000 flights and carried more than 300 million passengers since, according to Airbus.
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
