Adelaide will become first destination to welcome Emirates’ “long range” A350

Starting late this year, Emirates will begin flying their brand new Airbus A350s non-stop between Dubai and Adelaide. This route will be Emirates’ first “long haul“ flight for the A350 and represents a significant upgrade to their Boeing 777s currently operating the route.

Emirates’ brand new Airbus A350 | Photo: Emirates

The A350 will operate flights EK440 and 441 which are currently operated by a Boeing 777. The flight down under will last just under 13 hours, almost double the current longest A350 flight operated by Emirates - EDI-DXB which is just over 7 hours.

The service to Adelaide with the next-generation A350 is scheduled to commence on 1 December 2025. Adelaide has long been planned as a destination to receive the A350; however, it did not appear on the initial list of destinations unveiled by Emirates when they first took delivery of the aircraft.

Emirates is also describing this particular jet as its first long-range A350 and more specifically as an ultra-long range A350-900ULR – the same model flown by Singapore Airlines, which is fitted with an additional fuel tank to deliver globe-striding range. The airline noted that it’s “long range“ A350s will not be significantly different to its mainline fleet of A350s.

It’s the most fuel-efficient large widebody aircraft in commercial service today, Emirates’ Airbus A350-900ULR can stay in the air for up to 15 hours non-stop, with a range of nearly 18,000km.

“Adelaide will become the first city in Emirates network to receive the long-range A350,”  the airline states.

Emirates’ A350 features three travel classes, accommodating 312 passengers in 32 next-generation Business Class lie-flat seats, 21 Premium Economy seats and 259 Economy Class seats.