British Airways plans new Dubai service

Dubai: British Airways will add a new flight between London and Dubai this winter as the airline seeks to benefit from traffic growth between the two cities.

At present the airline has twice daily services on the competitive route.

The October 26-March 29 winter schedule will see a trio of Boeing aircraft, a 747, 767 and 777, operate the airline's Dubai-London Heathrow route.

The 747-serviced BA106 will also have the company's new long-haul business class Club World. It will add 322 business class seats a week to British Airways' route capacity.

"The arrival of new Club World on the Dubai route, for the winter schedule, further enhances our commercial proposition and demonstrates the Dubai market's enduring importance to the airline," said Paul Starrs, commercial manager for the Middle East.

Benchmark

The new Club World seat is 25 per cent wider and offers more privacy, the airline said.

"We set the industry benchmark when we launched the world's first fully-flat bed for business class customers in 2000. New Club World re-establishes our position as a market leader and shows how British Airways is constantly striving to innovate and improve its award-winning premium products," he said.

The airline launched a 36-month programme across its long haul fleet in October 2006 to introduce the Club World.

"To date, all 57 of our Boeing 747 fleet have been fitted with the new cabin. The full embodiment of our Boeing 777s will be reached by the end of the first half of 2009. Of this winter's three daily Dubai-Heathrow services, only one - the 747 morning flight, BA106 - will definitely carry new Club World," Starrs said.

"However, as the 777 installation process nears completion, our local customers will start to experience the new product on more flights from the Middle East," he said.

British Airways' Boeing 767s will not receive new Club World fit-outs as they are due to be replaced with new aircraft deliveries. The carrier currently has 12 Airbus A380s and 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners on order.

The airline has no plan at present to revise its fuel surcharge downwards in view of lower global fuel prices.

"British Airways continually reviews its fuel surcharges and makes adjustments appropriately. We have always said that the fuel surcharge does not recover the total cost of fuel," it said.

The Club World surcharge on the Dubai-London Heathrow route is £196 (Dh1,275) for a return flight.