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Emirates will operate a special one-off A380 service to Bahrain on 15 December, one day ahead of the country’s 49th National Day celebrations. The deployment is in response to high passenger demand during the National Day holidays in the Kingdom.

On 15 December, the Emirates A380 service will operate as EK 839 and EK 840, departing Dubai at 1605 and arriving in Bahrain at 1625hrs. The flight will then depart Bahrain at 1745hrs arriving in Dubai at 2000hrs.

Emirates customers arriving from Bahrain have the option to take a complimentary COVID-19 PCR test on arrival in Dubai, or do their COVID-19 PCR test 96 hours prior to departure, making it even more convenient for those planning their holidays.

Passengers coming from Bahrain, along with three other GCC countries do not need to take a COVID-19 PCR test prior to departure.

Emirates celebrated its 20^th anniversary to Bahrain this year, and since its first flight to the Kingdom has carried more than 6 million passengers between Bahrain and Dubai. The airline currently operates double daily flights to the Kingdom, connecting travellers to 99 global destinations, with safe and convenient onwards travel via Dubai to the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific.

Emirates has deployed the A380 on one-off missions to the Kingdom six times, including during busy Eid travel periods, on Bahrain’s National Day in 2017, and has also displayed the double-decker twice during the Bahrain airshow.

The airline recently reinstated its signature A380 experiences, including the Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa, introducing additional health and safety measures. In early November, Emirates also restored its signature dining service across all classes while observing strict hygiene protocols. Customers can now enjoy multi-course meals and choose from a complimentary selection of beverages. Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment, ice, continues to add new content every month, and currently boasts over 4,500 channels.

For more information to book a journey on this special one-off A380, travellers can visit www.emirates.com/bh , travel agents or contact the local Emirates Sales Office.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd said on Wednesday it would order 10 Airbus SE A321XLR jets and convert another 26 from a prior order to the new long-range model.

That will take its total A320neo family order to 109 planes, from 99 previously.

The A321XLR jets, to be delivered from mid-2024, have a 4,700 nautical mile range that will allow Qantas or its low-cost arm Jetstar to perform longer-range flights in narrow body jets.

“It can fly routes like Cairns-Tokyo or Melbourne-Singapore, which existing narrow-bodies can’t, and that changes the economics of lots of potential routes into Asia to make them not just physically possible but financially attractive,” Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said in a statement.

Jetstar operates an A320 narrow body fleet, but Qantas uses the rival Boeing 737. Joyce said the A321XLR had plenty of potential uses across both airlines and it would decide closer to the date on where they would be deployed and if they would be used for growth or to replace older jets.

Jetstar is due to receive 18 A321LR jets from 2020 to 2022 and plans to deploy them on domestic and international routes.

The additional 10 jets are valued at more than $1 billion at Airbus list prices, although airlines typically receive substantial discounts.

Qantas said it retained flexibility around the timing and structure of the deliveries depending on market conditions.

“All fleet decisions we make are ultimately guided by our financial framework, which balances our capital expenditure and need to invest for the future with our debt levels and ongoing returns to shareholders,” Joyce said.

Qantas is expected to decide next year on a replacement for its 75 737 jets, which comprise the backbone of its domestic fleet, Joyce said in February.

Contenders include the A320neo family, the 737 MAX and Boeing’s proposed new mid-sized airplane.

(Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

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Emirates to Operate A380 Flight to Bahrain for 49th National Day

Qantas Orders 10 A321XLR’s, Converts 26 Additional Aircraft

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