Dubai Mood :: Travel News :: Emirates makes history, completes longest green flight

For More Information's & Details 0844 448 1460
Email Sales Enquiry

Emirates makes history, completes longest green flight

SAN FRANCISCO - Emirates achieved another milestone in aviation history completing the world’s longest eco-friendly flight from Dubai to San Francisco on Monday.

Appropriately hailed as the green flight, the airline plotted the most environmentally sophisticated route and trip using its Boeing 777-200LR to help save an estimated 2,000 gallons of fuel and 30,000 pounds of carbon emissions.

The world cross-polar green flight also saved about 45 minutes of actual flying time, Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, told journalists soon after the inaugural non-stop flight landed at the San Francisco International Airport.

Shaikh Ahmed flew on the inaugural flight along with a delegation of Emirati businessmen from Dubai and local media persons.

At a press conference hosted at the San Francisco International Airport Museum building, Shaikh Ahmed said, “The green flight is part of the environment-friendly initiative by Emirates. We worked closely with government agencies in Dubai, Russia, Iceland, Canada and the United States and other countries to plot this environment flight.” This first longest green flight, he said, is a trial programme to be analysed and reviewed in the future.

“The San Francisco inaugural flight is a dual milestone for Emirates of commencing services between two great cities and also demonstrating the best our industry can offer in environmental efficiency. We have made a multi-billion dollar investment in the new state-of-the-art eco-efficient aircraft and the flight will help us to further improve our environmental performance,” Shaikh Ahmed said.

He said Emirates will look into spreading this green flight experience across its entire fleet in the near future. The green flights will also translate into competitive airfares for Emirates, he added.

Giving an insight into what Emirates green flight entails, Shaikh Ahmed said a new Boeing 777-200LR which features the world’s most efficient engines represented the world cross-polar green flight.

The aircraft received a special pre-flight pressure wash to reduce friction in the air, and it used electrical power on the ground in Dubai rather than running its auxiliary power unit.

It also used a preferred new route over Russian and Canadian airspace, single engine taxing to conserve fuel and reduce emissions, priority takeoff and landing in conjunction with air traffic control, and recycling of onboard paper, plastic and aluminium.

Meanwhile, Shaikh Ahmed noted that the non-stop flight linking Dubai and San Francisco will also give the necessary boost to business links between the two cities.

From now until May 2009, Emirates will operate three flights a week, making it daily thereafter, he said.

Top officials from the US airport authorities, San Francisco International Airport, and representatives of the Governor of the State of California were also present.

A traditional cake cutting which followed the press conference marked the occasion.

Holiday Mood Limited
66 Park Way
Ruislip Middlesex HA48NR
Tel: 0844 448 1460 Fax: 01895 674242
E-mail: sales@holidaymood.co.uk

Partner Sites: www.holidaymood.co.uk www.ozzymood.co.uk www.africanmood.co.uk www.dubaimood.co.uk www.flightsmood.co.uk www.jumeirahbeachdubai.co.uk

The flight bookings we make are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority, except when tickets for scheduled flights are sent to your within 24 hours of payment being accepted. Our ATOL number is 5934. We also act as agents for other ATOL holders. ATOL protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom