Emirates welcomes first A350 to London
The airline’s fourth daily London Gatwick flight is operated by an A350, introducing Premium Economy on the route
The additional flight takes Emirates’ London operations to 87 weekly flights across London Heathrow, London Stansted, and London Gatwick
London, UK, 9 February 2026: Emirates fourth daily flight to London Gatwick has launched, making it the airline’s first London gateway to be served by the all-new Airbus A350, and introducing the award-winning Premium Economy cabin to Gatwick. This additional daily service joins the existing three daily A380 flights on the Dubai-Gatwick route.
The additional frequency marks a significant milestone in Emirates’ UK operations as the airline now operates a record 146 weekly flights to the UK, including 90 to London, offering customers more schedule choices and greater flexibility than ever.
Emirates flight EK069 departs Dubai at 17:05hrs, arriving in London Gatwick at 20:50hrs; the return flight, EK070, departs London Gatwick at 23:55hrs and lands in Dubai at 11:00hrs. The introduction of an evening departure brings a new and complementary flight option on the Dubai-Gatwick schedule, to optimise both corporate and leisure travel between the two cities.
Introducing the A350 and Premium Economy to Gatwick
Operated by an A350-900 aircraft in a three-class configuration, Emirates’ new daily service offers customers 32 lie-flat Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 layout, 28 Premium Economy seats, and 238 Economy Class seats. In addition to Emirates’ signature next-generation products and award-winning service, customers can experience the cutting-edge tech touches like wireless charging in Business Class, electric window blinds with an Emirates Ghaf tree motif when closed in premium classes, digital inflight menus on ice screens, and more.
The airline’s next-generation version of the ice inflight entertainment system on the A350 delivers a cinematic experience with stunning 4K and 4K HDR displays on ultra-responsive touchscreens. The A350 also offers high-performance Wi-Fi, offering uninterrupted global connectivity using ViaSat’s Global Xpress (GX) satellite network, with improved Wireless Access Points (WAPs) onboard allowing more customers to enjoy up to ten times the current total aircraft bandwidth on average.
Enhanced connectivity and commitment to London
The A350 launch at Gatwick marks the second UK destination to receive the airline’s newest aircraft type, after Edinburgh became the first destination across Emirates’ expansive global network to be served by the new A350 after a daily service was introduced in January 2025.
London joins the growing list of global cities served by Emirates’ newest aircraft, including Adelaide, Montreal, Oslo, Lyon, Bologna, Dammam, Mumbai, Edinburgh, Bahrain, Colombo, Baghdad, Hangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Kuwait, Muscat, Tunis, Amman, Istanbul and Ahmedabad. In 2026, a further six cities are set to receive the A350 including Rome, Copenhagen, Taipei, Phuket, Cape Town, and Helsinki, which will operate with an A350 from launch in October 2026.
For more information or to book tickets, visit emirates.com. Tickets can also be booked on Emirates App, Emirates Retail stores, Emirates contact centre, or via travel agents.
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To contact the Emirates UK Press Office, please call +44 (0) 207 025 6696 or email EmiratesUK@redconsultancy.com
About Emirates
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has flown to and from the UK since 1987. The airline currently serves the UK with 146 weekly flights including: forty eight weekly A380 services to London Heathrow; three times daily A380 service to Gatwick and a daily A350 service; twice daily service to Stansted; three times daily A380 service to Manchester; twice daily service to Birmingham (including a daily A380 service); daily service to Newcastle; daily A380 service to Glasgow; and a daily A350 service to Edinburgh.
Emirates has won multiple accolades including: “Best Premium Airline Service” at the Globe Travel Awards 2025; “Best Airline in the World” and “Best Premium Economy Class in the World” at the ULTRAs 2025 Awards; “Best Airline” at The Telegraph and The Sun Travel Awards 2025; “Best Premium Economy in the World” at the Business Traveller Awards 2025; “Best Long Haul Airline Award” from both the Times Travel Awards 2025; “Best Airline for Long-Haul Flights” and “ Best Airline for Business Class Travel” at the British Travel Awards 2024; “World Class Airline” by APEX 2024; “Best Onboard Amenity” at the 2024 IFSA Awards; Which? Recommended Provider for long-haul travel in 2025; “Best International Airline” by Forbes Travel Guide’s Air Travel Awards; and recognised as a 2025 APEX World Class Airline.