Emirates A380 pilots complain about 'too quiet' crew rest area

Pilots at Emirates Airline who fly the Dubai-based carrier's Airbus A380 are complaining that the aircraft's crew-rest area is too quiet to afford them proper rest. The crew-rest area is located in the aft section of the aircraft's all-economy main deck, and the pilots claim that noises from the passenger cabin -- ranging from crying babies to flushing vacuum toilets -- can be heard very clearly, interrupting their sleep.

One of the features about the A380 touted by Airbus is that engine noise is barely perceptible inside the aircraft cabin. Ironically, this is exactly what the problem is. Usually, engine noise works like 'white noise' to muffle more intermittent sounds. With no engine thrum to mask other sounds, every noise inside the cabin is heard rather clearly and acutely. Even though they wear earplugs, the pilots' sleep is repeatedly interrupted.

According to Flight International, which broke this story, the problem extends beyond noise, per se. Due to the location of the crew-rest area, passengers also mistake the rest area for a lavatory, and pull the door handle.

The Flight International article says:

Emirates is the only A380 operator so far to have situated the crew-rest areas at the rear of the main deck. It did not opt for Airbus' standard option of locating the pilots' compartment behind the cockpit as it would have compromised the design of the airline's upper deck first-class cabin, while the alternative location of the cargo hold was rejected as it thought crew would find it "claustrophobic".

I am wondering if, in addition, there may be safety implications for locating the crew-rest area in the aft section of the main deck, so far away from the flight deck. One can imagine an emergency arising that would urgently require the presence of a crew member who was on rest break. Imagine the poor pilot who has to make his or her way as quickly as possible from the crew-rest in the aft of the main deck, through the length of the 'super-jumbo' aircraft (possibly having to navigate around passengers, cabin crew, serving carts, and what have you), then  (eventually!) into the flight deck. Now add the not inconceivable dimension of an aircraft that, in said emergency, might not be flying along smoothly in level cruise. Good luck!

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Emirates A380 grounded in Dubai

In late July, Emirates Airline took delivery of its first Airbus A-380 'superjumbo' aircraft, and immediately put it into service on the Dubai - New York route. The inaugural flight of the Emirates A380 took place on August 1, 2008. Now, just weeks after its launch, the huge double-decker passenger aircraft has been grounded by the Dubai-based carrier for at least a week.

Late last week, an article in the Arabian Business said that Emirates removed the plane from service because "scheduled engineering on the airline’s only operating A380 is taking longer than expected." Today an article about the grounding of the Emirates A380 on Flight International mentioned "unspecified electrical issues." More from Flight International:

The Dubai-based airline is not expecting to return the aircraft to flight operations until at least 12 September.

Engineers are working on an "electrical issue", says a spokesperson for the carrier, which was "noticed at the end of a training mission when the aircraft was parked in front of the hangars". The aircraft remains parked in Dubai.

Emirates is using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on the Dubai-JFK route until the issues with the A380 are resolved.

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Emirates Airbus A380 Cabin Interior and Special Luxury Features

Yesterday Emirates took delivery of its first Airbus A380 aircraft. The double-decker 'superjumbo' aircraft is the first of 58 that Emirates has ordered from Airbus. The first Emirates Airbus A380 will make its inaugural flight on August 1, 2008, from Dubai to New York.

The cabin features of the huge new A380 are like nothing we have seen before. The first photo on this page shows the economy cabin, with seating for 399 passengers. The cabin has straight walls, designed to give the impression of increased spaciousness. Emirates says that this feature, combined with the advanced mood lighting system and noticeably quieter cabin, works to combat the effects of jetlag.

Of its A380 Economy Class, the carrier says, "More generous seats, wider aisles, Gourmet chef-prepared meals and the Emirates' personal touch mean passengers could be mistaken for thinking they've settled in the wrong cabin class."

That is, unless they get a peek at the upper deck, which the airline bills as "a premium hotel in the sky," promising a level of comfort and space never seen before on a commercial airliner. The whole of the upper deck is dedicated to Premium Class passengers: 14 in First Class, and a 76 in Business Class.

The Business Class cabin, pictured at right, features "intelligent seating," designed to ensure all seats have aisle access. Emirates says, "There's a cleverly designed table that never gets in your way, a seat that slickly becomes a fully-flat bed, and laptop stowage..."

The upper deck of the new Emirates A380 also has an Onboard Lounge. Located in the Business Class cabin for use by First and Business Class passengers, the Lounge "is designed to make passengers feel like they are in their own executive club." Another First Class social area and bar is located at the front of the upper deck.

In the forward section of the upper deck are 14 flat-bed, massage-equipped Private Suites for First Class passengers. The suites include remote controlled doors, a work desk, an electrically controlled mini-bar and the most advanced in-flight entertainment system available.

The First Class feature on the Emirates A380 that is getting the most media attention is the On Board Shower Spa -- two fully equipped bathrooms in its First Class cabins, including shower facilities. Emirates promised some special surprises with its A380 and this certainly is one of them. The airline refers to their A380's First Class Shower Spa as "the jewel in the aircraft's crown."

The Emirates A380 flights will be staffed by 24 Cabin Crew, dressed in their newly updated uniforms. All will have undergone intensive training on the aircraft at the new Emirates Crew Training College in Dubai.

There's a new twist, too. There will be additional staff on board whose job it is to keep things tidy on the huge A380. For the first time, Emirates has hired and trained "Cabin Service Assistants" for keeping the cabin -- including the Shower Spas -- immaculate. The presence of the Cabin Service Assistants will free the regular Cabin Crew to focus on cabin safety, and serving passengers. Now that is a revolutionary feature!

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Emirates' first Airbus A380 has arrived in Dubai

Earlier today, the first A380 in the Emirates fleet arrived at its home base in Dubai. An article on the UAE news website Xpress described the huge aircraft's historic arrival at Dubai International Airport: "The four-engine bird appeared magically from an overcast haze around 5:35pm and flew a graceful fly-past before banking to the east toward Sharjah. Eleven minutes later, the 469-seat aircraft landed, dwarfing other parked aircraft."

Yesterday Emirates took delivery of its first Airbus A-380 'superjumbo' aircraft in Hamburg, Germany. This aircraft is the first A380 among a total of 58 ordered from Airbus by Emirates.

The luxurious double-decker passenger cabin of the first Emirates A380 is configured in three classes, including a 14-seat First Class, and a 76-seat Business Class on the upper deck, with a 399-seat Economy Class below. This first aircraft will be deployed on the Dubai-New York route, the first commercial A380 service between the UAE and US. The inaugural flight is set to take place on August 1, 2008.

Emirates has also ordered two other versions of the A380. One will have a three-class, 517-seat configuration for medium range flights. The other, also intended for medium range service, will have 604 seat in two classes.

The Emirates A380s will be powered by Engine Alliance GP7200 engines, enabling the carrier to save 500,000 litres of fuel per aircraft per year over any other engine alternative currently available. The company says that this aircraft "will offer fuel economy as low as 3.1 litres per 100 passenger kms, better than that of Toyota’s acclaimed Prius hybrid passenger vehicle (which uses 4.4 litres per 100 vehicle kms). It also comfortably meets the current EU Stage Three and proposed Stage Four noise level standards."

According to an Emirates news release about the A380 delivery:

The aircraft was received by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman & Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, at an official handover ceremony attended by President of Emirates Airline Tim Clark; Airbus CEO Tom Enders; former Engine Alliance President, Bruce Hughes; Jürgen Thomas, the “founding father” of the A380; the 2,000 Hamburg Airbus staff directly involved in the production of the A380; 58 Emirates cabin crew, representing the number of A380s the Dubai based carrier has on firm order; international media, VIPs and other guests.

HH Sheikh Ahmed noted that while Emirates may not have been the first airline to receive the new generation aircraft, it was the first to place a firm order for it eight years ago.

Since Emirates is by far the biggest customer of the A380, the aircraft will eventually be available on most of the airline's international routes. The carrier notes that, in time, if a person is traveling on an A380 chances will be about one-in-four that they will be flying Emirates.

Emirates’ inaugural A380 commercial flight will depart Dubai International Airport at 11:00 local time on Friday, August 1, 2008. It will arrive at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at 17:00 local time. According to Emirates, the fully booked flight will take between 12.5 and 13 hours, compared to 14 hours on a Boeing 777.

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Uniform Update for Emirates Airline Cabin Crew

Later this summer, Emirates will take delivery of its first Airbus A380 'superjumbo' aircraft. To coincide with the introduction of the new flagship A380 into service, the airline's cabin crew will begin wearing updated uniforms, pictured here. An Emirates announcement about the uniform changes says that crew flying on the A380 will be the first to wear the new uniforms.

According to Emirates, the most noticeable elements of the new uniform for women include "beige piping detail on the new red hat, subtle red pin stripes throughout, more fitted, chic blouses and eye catching, red kick-pleats in the skirts." Men will wear a "chocolate brown suit, also featuring pinstripes, with a cream shirt and a caramel, honey and red tie."

Women cabin crew wear beige, while the dark uniform is for the purser. The photo above shows the concourse look. The second photo illustrates how the new uniform will be worn on board during in-flight service.

Terry Daly, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Service Delivery, said: “The Emirates uniform has been the same since 1997, with a few tweaks here and there. In this new design we have addressed style, comfort, the suitability for different climates – for cabin crew and ground staff – and managed to retain the iconic and instantly recognizable hallmark of our uniform worldwide.”

Mr Daly continued: "I'm immensely proud of the in-house team from Emirates who worked with UK based uniform supplier Simon Jersey plc. Using a catalogue approach with mix and match items, they have produced a superb uniform that can be adapted to suit different environments and climates. This is vital when the conditions on the ground for staff can vary from Sao Paulo in Brazil to Newcastle in England to Hong Kong in Asia."

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Emirates Airline announces Dubai-JFK A380 service

Emirates Airline announced today that it will begin commercial service using its brand-new Airbus A380 aircraft between Dubai and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), beginning August 1, 2008. The 14-hour non-stop flight will also be the first-ever commercial A380 service to The Americas.

The first Dubai-JFK flight, EK3801, is scheduled to depart Dubai at 11:00, and arrive at JFK at 16:45 local time on August 1, 2008. The return run, operating as Flight EK3802, will depart JFK at 21:00 on August 1, and arrive in Dubai at 17:45 local time on August 2, 2008. (Planespotters, dust off your cameras!)

Emirates, the largest customer for the A380, has ordered 56 of the superjumbo aircraft, and is scheduled to take delivery of its first A380 in late July. Emirates says it expects delivery of five A380s in its current financial year, all featuring its ultra long-haul configuration of 489 seats: 14 in First Class, 76 in Business and 399 in Economy; with 13 tonnes of bellyhold capacity for cargo. After New York, these aircraft are slated to operate on Emirates’ routes from Dubai to London Heathrow, and Sydney-Auckland.

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Emirates recruiting cabin crew worldwide

Emirates Airlines, based in Dubai, is the fastest growing airline in the world. According to a recent article in the International Herald Tribune about Emirates' expansion plans, the airline will take delivery of one new Boeing or Airbus plane a month for the next five years. Among these will the 55 super-jumbo A380s that have been ordered.

All of this rapid expansion means increased job opportunities for crew at Emirates. If you are thinking about seeking employment as cabin crew with a large international carrier, you may want to consider Emirates. In order to qualify, you must have at least a high school education, and have fluency in both written and spoken English. You must be at least 21 years of age at the time of application. All Emirates cabin crew are based in Dubai.

This month Emirates will be holding recruitment sessions in Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Egypt, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore and Slovakia. Visit the Cabin Crew page of the Emirates recruiting website for more information, or to submit your application on line.

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