Emirates will introduce A350 services to Cape Town, Copenhagen and Phuket, adding frequencies from June-July 2026
Emirates has announced that it will operate its Airbus A350 on the third daily service between Dubai and Cape Town effective 1 July 2026, marking the aircraft type’s first deployment in Southern Africa. The airline also confirmed new A350-operated frequencies on its Dubai services to Copenhagen and Phuket.
Emirates stated that it will introduce a second daily Dubai–Copenhagen service from 1 June 2026, operated by the Airbus A350 as EK153/154. EK153 will depart Dubai at 14:50 and arrive in Copenhagen at 19:45, while the return flight, EK154, will depart Copenhagen at 21:35 and arrive in Dubai at 05:55 the following day. The airline stated that the added frequency is intended to support onward connectivity via Dubai to East Asian destinations including Bangkok, Bali, Manila, Tokyo Haneda and Phuket, as well as Colombo and Malé, while also improving links to African cities such as Nairobi and Entebbe, and offering additional options for passengers travelling via Dubai from Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Delhi and Bangalore.
The airline also confirmed that the third daily Dubai–Cape Town service will operate with the A350 from 1 July 2026, with EK778 departing Dubai at 10:25 and arriving in Cape Town at 18:05, and the return, EK779, departing Cape Town at 20:00 and arriving in Dubai at 07:25 the following morning. Emirates said the additional frequency is intended to broaden options for leisure and corporate travellers and to support connections via Dubai to markets including London, Dublin, Mumbai, Brussels, Australasia and key Asian destinations, adding that its existing double-daily Cape Town services have recorded high load factors over the past year.
From 1 July 2026, Emirates will also introduce a third daily Dubai–Phuket service on the A350 as EK390/391, with EK390 departing Dubai at 22:40 and arriving in Phuket at 08:10 the next day, and EK391 departing Phuket at 10:00 and arriving in Dubai at 13:05. Emirates said the schedule is designed to facilitate connections via Dubai for travellers arriving from European cities including Manchester, Amsterdam, London, Paris and Frankfurt, alongside regional feed from Kuwait and Bahrain, and it referenced onward connectivity between Phuket and destinations such as Madrid, Munich, Birmingham, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Edinburgh, Zurich and Amman.
Separately, Emirates outlined a wider set of Premium Economy expansions and aircraft upgrades across its network. Addis Ababa (daily EK723/724) will move to a retrofitted three-class Boeing 777-200LR from 1 March, while Barcelona (EK187/188) will operate with a retrofitted Boeing 777-300ER from 1 February, and the linked Barcelona–Mexico City service (EK255/256) will operate daily with a Premium Economy retrofitted three-class Boeing 777-200LR from 15 February. Rome (EK099/100) is scheduled to operate with the A350 from 29 March.
In Asia, Cochin will see two weekly EK530/531 services operated by a retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR from 29 January, and Karachi (EK606/607) will move to a retrofitted three-class Boeing 777-200LR from 1 March. Taipei (EK386/387) will operate with a retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR from 15 March until 30 April before transitioning to the A350 from 1 May.
In Australia, Brisbane (EK430/431) will be operated daily by a retrofitted four-class Boeing 777-300ER from 29 March.
In the Middle East, Basra’s Thursday EK947/948 service will transition to a retrofitted four-class Boeing 777-300ER from 29 January. Kuwait City (EK859/860) will operate with a retrofitted Boeing 777 between 1 February and 30 April before moving to the A350 from 1 May, while Tehran (EK979/980) will operate daily with a retrofitted four-class Boeing 777 effective 29 March.
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