Emirates restarts NYC double-decker plane flights

[November 08, 2010]  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Emirates airline is once again flying the double-decker Airbus A380 to New York after more than a yearlong hiatus.

The Dubai-based carrier relaunched service Monday with an 8:30 a.m. flight from the Persian Gulf city-state.

Emirates was the first airline to regularly fly the superjumbo to the U.S. in 2008. It halted service less than a year later in June 2009 because of weak demand caused by the economic downturn.

Air France also flies the A380 to New York.

Australia's Qantas operates the plane to Los Angeles, but its A380 fleet is currently grounded after an engine burst minutes into a flight from Singapore last week.

Emirates is Airbus' biggest customer for the A380, with 14 in operation and 76 on order.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.