Longest Flight Gets Biggest Jet as A380 Serves Dubai-Auckland

  • Emirates to replace Boeing 777 with Airbus superjumbo
  • Switch will make 224 further seats available per trip

Emirates presents an Airbus A380 at the Berlin Air Show 2016.

Photographer: Madeleine Lenz/Getty Images
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The world’s longest scheduled air service, spanning the 8,824 miles between Dubai and Auckland, is to be operated by the world’s biggest passenger jet as Gulf carrier Emirates almost doubles capacity on the route.

Upgrading the daily operation to Airbus Group SE A380s from Boeing Co. 777-200LRs from from Oct. 30 will lift the seat count to 490 per flight from 266. The move reflects the high level of demand since the service was introduced in March, Emirates said Thursday in a statement.