Dubai: Emirates on Friday welcomed its first fare-paying passengers on the A380 as the superjumbo took off at 11am from Dubai International Airport on its maiden commercial flight to the US.
The super-jumbo, equipped with Onboard Shower Spas and a lounge, has received "glowing reviews" from those who enjoyed the in-flight experience, Emirates said.
It said the New York flight was fully booked.
The plane is arranged in a three-class configuration - 399 seats in Economy, 76 fully-flat seats in Business Class and 14 private suites in First Class.
A number of Emirates executives joined the flight, including the airline's president Tim Clark; Keith Longstaff, divisional senior vice-president, commercial operations worldwide; Terry Daly, divisional senior vice-president, service delivery; and Andrew Parker, senior vice-president, public and environmental affairs.
In New York, invited guests and the media were to assemble for a reception in Emirates' JFK lounge.
Guests also got the opportunity to look around the carrier's 118th aircraft, kicking off a series of familiarisation events around the US.
The aircraft will be on show at San Francisco International Airport on Monday before moving on to the Flight Path Museum in Los Angeles the following day.
In both cities, guests and media representatives will enjoy a two-hour flight. Further static tours will take place on the ground.
