Emirates, which is a well-known Dubai-based carrier, has announced that it is all set to operate its shortest-ever Airbus A380 service this December. Yes, starting next week, they will be deploying the double-decker aircraft on a short two-and-a-half-hour flight. Connecting the destinations of Dubai and Medina, this is an unusual move and comes at a time when there is a surge in the demand for Umrah travel.
Emirates To Launch Its Shortest Flight For Airbus A380
As revealed in a report of the Gulf News, this is a one-off service and is scheduled to operate on December 25th. The airline will be flying the four-engine A380 from its Dubai hub to Medina. This would be the shortest flight on the Emirates’ global network that will be operated by the jumbo aircraft. The flight is expected to take just 150 minutes as per the reports of civil data platforms, like Simple Flying and Cirium.
Moreover, the aircraft that has been assigned to the service will be configured with 615 seats. Replacing the Boeing 777-300ER, it is this aircraft which typically operates on the route. With the capacity for 21 seats and no first class cabin, the decision comes after the exceptionally high demand from the large tour groups, travelling to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.
Emirates Has The Largest Fleet Of A380s
As it happens, Emirates has operated the A380 to Medina on limited occasions in the past. Yes, the aircraft was used once in 2017 and then twice in 2019. Finally, it will be used twice again in 2025. However, it’s worth mentioning that this aircraft has never been operated to Medina in December.
For those who weren’t aware, Emirates operates the world’s largest fleet of Airbus A380. These feature multiple cabin configurations and range from four-class layout seatings to high-density, two-class configurations, accommodating up to 615 seats. The latter comes without the first class.
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Flyadeal Also Announces New Base In Medina
Not only this, but recently Saudi’s low-cost carrier flyadeal also announced that it will be making Medina its newest operational base from January 2026. The two Airbus A320 aircraft will be permanently stationed atTheMohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport. They will be flying alongside the existing flyadeal bases, which is in Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah. With the flights launching domestically from Medina to Jazan, Tabuk, Al Hofuf, and Abha from January 1st, 2026. This will boost the airline’s Medina capacity by 30%.
The aim of supporting pilgrimage, these developments shine a light on the higher demand for pilgrimage amongst Muslims from around the world.
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