Emirates A380 Returns to BNE

Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) is thrilled to welcome Emirates’ A380 back to Queensland’s skies for the first time in nearly three years, with the iconic superjumbo returning to Brisbane Airport (BNE) last night.

Emirates’ A380 will resume daily services between BNE and Dubai (DXB), replacing the airline’s other wide-body aircraft that serviced the route throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the B777.

BAC CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said the return of Emirates’ flagship aircraft is a strong indication of recovering consumer confidence and the strength of Brisbane as a destination in itself, and a gateway to Australia.

"Emirates and BAC have a proud and storied history spanning nearly two decades, and we are incredibly thankful for Emirates’ commitment and confidence to continue doing business in Queensland," he said.

"The return of the A380 to BNE means more seats and opportunities for inbound and outbound leisure travel, visiting family and relatives, corporate travel, and carriage of vital cargo," Mr de Graaff said.

"BAC and its partners, including the Queensland Government, Tourism and Events Queensland, Destination Gold Coast and BEDA, look forward to working with Emirates to grow passenger numbers, rebuild the service, and partner on growth opportunities in the years ahead as international travel continues to recover."

Emirates Divisional Vice President for Australasia, Barry Brown, said the re-opening of borders and the increasing demand for overseas travel has allowed Emirates to bring back the iconic A380 and increase services to Brisbane.

"Bringing back daily A380 operations to Queensland has been one of many positive signs of a gradual return to normalcy, with more seats now available to passengers who wish to travel to and from Brisbane for leisure and business travel. It is indeed a proud moment to resume our flagship A380 service to Brisbane and to provide Queenslanders with greater flexibility and choice when making their travel plans," Mr Brown said.

"The signature services that we offer onboard this iconic aircraft have also been a favourite of customers around the world who seek the travel experience due to the superior levels of comfort and spaciousness that the aircraft offers. Brisbane now joins our A380 network once again and fans of the aircraft can travel to another 28 destinations, via Dubai, on this remarkable aircraft."

Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said landing Emirates’ A380 in Brisbane was an important sign of recovery.

"More seats and connectivity means more visitors to Queensland’s world-class destinations," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"We know aviation is critical for Queensland’s tourism operators and exporters.

"To have a global airline flying the world’s largest aircraft back to Queensland is a huge vote of confidence in our State’s economic and tourism recovery."

Emirates is a key international partner of BNE, connecting to countries in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and is currently BNE’s and Queensland’s second largest international carrier by passenger volume for the current calendar year.

The daily direct service from Dubai to Brisbane, EK430, departs Dubai at 2:50am and arrives in Brisbane at 10:40pm. The return service, EK431, departs Brisbane at 8:55pm and arrives in Dubai at 5:30am the next day.

From 27 March, flight departure and arrival times for EK430 will be adjusted to 20 minutes earlier while EK431 will depart Brisbane at 9:55pm and arrive in Dubai at 5:10am the next day, starting 28 March. All times are local.

In 2019, Emirates operated three daily flights from Dubai into Brisbane, carrying 583,000 two-way passengers every year.

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