Originally Posted by Insider Media Limited
Laurie Berryman, the UK vice-president for airline Emirates, has hailed the success of the carrier's A380 service from Manchester to Dubai, one year on from its launch.
He said: "I’m delighted to say we’ve exceeded expectations in every way. Running first class for the first time from Manchester was a step into the unknown for us but little did we know in September 2011 that within a year we’d be running a third daily flight. Manchester can be justly proud of being one of the first airports to run A380 flights."
Berryman said that Emirates flew 33,000 passengers in July from Manchester, up 15 per cent year-on-year. He added that cargo is performing well: "Cargo tends to be the Cinderella of aviation, but it’s vital for us – we’ve seen a 44 per cent increase since the introduction of the third service. The demand is there for freight."
He remains optimistic, despite nagging concerns over oil prices and Airport Passenger Duty: "Passengers in the UK pay 12-15 times more than in Europe. We’ve done all the lobbying we can. There needs to be more balance because aviation is a driver of economic growth."