Emirates marks milestone voyage at the Clark International Airport

By Michelle San Juan-de Vera

IIn celebration of its 30th anniversary of flying to and from the Philippines, Emirates, the largest international airline in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), offered a one-off Airbus A380 flight to the Clark International Airport (CRK)—becoming the first airline to operate the A380 aircraft in the country’s premier gateway.

The special flight, which landed at the CRK on August 19, 2020, was welcomed with a ceremonial water cannon salute.

The Airbus A380 helped meet the huge demand for flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and other nearby cities, to the Philippines, and vice versa. There were 405 passengers from Dubai, en route Clark, Pampanga, who were able to experience the aircraft’s unique features.

The passengers were welcomed by Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD) CEO Bi Yong Chungunco, Emirates-Philippines Country Manager Satish Sethi, Charge d’ Affaires, a.i., of the United Arab Emirates Embassy Shaikh Saoud Ali Mohammed Ali Almualla, Ambassador of France to the Philippines Amb. Nicolas Galey, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Senior Vice President for Conversion Development Group Engr. Joshua Bingcang, Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President and CEO Noel Manankil, and Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President and CEO Gen. Aaron Aquino.

Chungunco said, “A few days ago, LIPAD celebrated its first anniversary as the operator of CRK. Having the first scheduled A380 service in Clark on the week of our anniversary is a very welcome event especially during these challenging times. Together with our partners, we hope to make the journey of our arriving passengers as seamless and hassle-free as possible, while adhering to the guidelines set by our IATF. It is our goal that within 3 days’ time, our passengers should be on their way home after undergoing testing and quarantine.”

Pursuant to the health and safety protocols of the IATF, all passengers were subjected to mandatory RT-PCR test at the airport. They

A WATER SALUTE is performed to commemorate the first Emirates A380 commercial flight in CRK.

also had to stay in a government-accredited hotel facility while waiting for their respective test results.

Flying with flight number EK 2520, Emirates’ A380 departed Dubai at 2:40 a.m. and arrived at the CRK at 3:23 p.m. It returned on the same day, then departed CRK at 6:20 p.m., arriving at the Dubai International Airport at 10:45 p.m., with flight number EK 338.

Surge in Demand

Since the UAE airline giant resumed its operations in August, it has witnessed a massive demand for its six weekly flights, as well as its daily Dubai-Manila flights.

Sethi said, “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.”

He added, “We would like to thank the authorities in the Philippines for supporting us throughout the years.”

Resumption of flights via the Emirates A380 aircraft is already ongoing in the following airports: London Heathrow, Paris, Cairo, Guangzhou, and Toronto.

Emirates’s first flight in Clark took place in 2016. The world’s largest airline and the national carrier of UAE, it ranks number five in the 2019 Skytrax World Airline Awards.