New Zealand's first A380 services

Business Traveller reports that Emirates will start flying Airbus A380 whalejets to Auckland from February 2009. Apparently flights EK412/EK413 (using Airbus A340s) which currently fly Dubai-Sydney-Christchurch will be redirected through to Auckland, but using new A380s.

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It is highly likely these A380s will be in the long haul lower density configuration (Emirates is planning three different A380 layouts, one will be in a high density two class "cram them in" option, probably for shorter flights to South Asia from Dubai). Emirates promises to rival Singapore Airlines in all classes, but we will have to wait and see. One of the biggest problems of Emirates is that it has different products depending on the aircraft. On its Boeing 777s it crams 10 seats to a row, whereas Air NZ, BA and Singapore Airlines fit 9, although it offers greater seat pitch than any of the others in 777s. On its A340s its seat pitch is tight, but it is the standard 8 in a row.

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A bigger question is whether Emirates is adding a flight to Auckland, replacing one, or is terminating flights to Christchurch as a result, as it is not clear.

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Other airlines flying to NZ that have ordered the A380 are far less likely to fly them to NZ:

- Singapore Airlines flies 777s to Christchurch and Auckland, with a 747 service daily to Auckland. However its latest timetable drops the 747 flight from the middle of the year replacing it with a 777-300ER. It is unlikely SQ will put the A380 on services to NZ;

- Qantas has ordered A380s, but its only large aircraft route nowadays is Melbourne-Auckland-Los Angeles with 747s, partly because most fully laden 747s can't fly non stop Melbourne-LAX.

- Thai, Malaysian, Korean are all highly unlikely to fly A380s to NZ, as none fly their largest aircraft to NZ (747s) now.