Emirates Boosts Riyadh Boeing 777 Flights As Passenger Numbers Surge

Emirates Boosts Riyadh Boeing 777 Flights As Passenger Numbers Surge

• Emirates is increasing its capacity between Dubai and Riyadh to accommodate the higher demand for air travel during Saudi National Day celebrations.
• The Dubai-Riyadh corridor is already a competitive one, with several carriers operating flights on this route.
• To meet the increased demand, Emirates will be operating three additional flights between Dubai and Riyadh this week, using Boeing 777s instead of larger Airbus A380s for greater flexibility.

This week will see Emirates increase its capacity between Dubai International (DXB) and Riyadh’s King Khalid International (RUH) as Saudi Arabia prepares to celebrate a public holiday. The country has been marking Saudi National Day as an official holiday since 2007, and it has prompted a boom in air travel demand this year.

A competitive corridor

The Middle Eastern corridor between Dubai and Riyadh is already a rather busy one. At present, Emirates is operating seven flights a day on this route, with the departure times from its UAE hub ranging conveniently throughout the day from 01:25 (EK815) to 22:10 (EK2270). According to FlightRadar24.com, these have block times of around two hours, with 80 to 90 minutes spent in the air.

Of course, Emirates is far from the only carrier plying this corridor. Indeed, it also faces competition from the likes of flyadeal, flydubai, flynas, and, of course, Saudi Arabian flag carrier and SkyTeam member Saudia. Additionally, Cathay Pacific Cargo regularly flies airfreight from Riyadh to Dubai World Central Airport (DWC).

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With this weekend seeing Saudi National Day celebrated on September 23rd, Emirates is set to further increase its presence on the route between Dubai and Riyadh. Indeed, to accommodate the increased demand that has been generated by the festivities, the carrier has scheduled even more flights on certain dates.

Three extra flights

All in all, Emirates will operate an additional three rotations between Dubai and Riyadh this week in order to cater to the higher seasonal demand. These will operate on September 20th, 21st, and 24th, with scheduling data suggesting that they will be numbered as flight EK2813 and depart from Dubai at 17:20 local time.

Emirates has elected to spread its extra capacity over a larger number of lower-capacity flights and dates, by deploying its Boeing 777s on the extra rotations instead of its larger Airbus A380s. This will give passengers greater flexibility, with the airline noting that the flights “will run in parallel to Emirates’ existing schedule.”

Emirates has various different seating configurations for its triple-sevens. While data from aeroLOPA shows that its 777-200LRs all have the same two-class, 302-seat layout, the 777-300ER model has five different setups. These range in capacity from 354 seats (three classes) to a high-density two-class, 428-seat layout.

34 years of service to Saudi Arabia

Emirates’ extensive schedules to a Saudi Arabian destination such as Riyadh should come as no surprise, given its close and longstanding ties to the country. Indeed, the carrier has been flying there since 1989, and, alongside Riyadh, it also serves Dammam (DMM), Jeddah (JED), and Medina (MED) from its hub at Dubai International Airport. Overall, Emirates operates 67 weekly flights to Saudi Arabia.

What do you make of Emirates’ upcoming schedule boosts? Have you ever flown with the carrier between Dubai and Riyadh? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Sources: aeroLOPA, Emirates, FlightRadar24.com

• Emirates

  IATA/ICAO Code: EK/UAE Airline Type: Full Service Carrier Hub(s): Dubai International Airport Year Founded: 1985 CEO: Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Country: United Arab Emirates