While Tucson-based commercial jets aren’t flying to and from Dubai - yet, anway - a local company is making some travelers’ journeys to the thriving Middle East country of United Arab Emirates reminiscent of a luxury hotel.
B/E Aerospace’s manufacturing facility at 1851 S. Pantano Road is producing first-class cabins for Emirates, the Dubai-based airline that serves 101 cities worldwide including New York and Houston in the United States. It’s adding non-stop flights from Los Angeles to Dubai Oct. 1 and San Francisco flights as of Nov. 20.
 Emirates passenger enjoys luxury cabin manufactured by Tucson-based B/E Aerospace. Photo courtesy of Emirates |
Since launching in 1985, Emirates has served Dubai, the Far East, Australia, Africa and the U.S. With 115 wide-bodied aircraft, the rapidly growing airline is adding 245 aircraft, worth approximately $60 billion. In the 2006–’07 fiscal year, Emirates carried 17.5 million passengers — three million more than the year before — and declared a record net profit of $942 million, the company says.
B/E Aerospace, headquartered in Wellington, Fla., is the world’s leading manufacturer of cabin interior products for commercial aircraft as well as aerospace fasteners. It has been building first-class cabins for Emirates since 2004; the first Emirates aircraft with the Tucson company’s suite entered service in 2007.
The cabins are private jet-like accommodations for wealthy and high-profile customers on the airline’s Boeing 777s and new Airbus 380 aircraft, the two-decker jumbo jet capable of carrying 525 passengers that is due to enter service late this year. Emirates, the second airline to order the new plane, is due to get 58 of them.
Inside the planes, these are "Super First Class" mini-suites, with electrically operated doors, an electric multi-configurable massage seat/flat bed, a mini-bar, work area, a wardrobe (instead of space-cramping overhead bins) and an in-flight entertainment system with 500 channels and a 23-inch high-definition flat-screen monitor.
"The mini-suite is a personal environment that is based on the comforts and amenities of a five-star hotel," explains Doug Rasmussen, vice president and general manager of the company’s Super First Class Business Unit. With these cabins, the goal is to offer the highest-end customer the amenities of private bizjet service in a commercial aircraft.
B/E Aerospace is also installing upgraded versions of the cabins on recently delivered Boeing 777 aircrafts as well as retrofitting B777s and Airbus A340-500s for Emirates. These retrofits are not in service as yet, Rasmussen explains. "The original A340-500 suites were manufactured by another company," he says, "but Emirates likes our suites so much they are removing those from their fleet with this retrofit program."
The Tucson company also delivers similar — although not identical — cabins to Australia’s Qantas, India’s Kingfisher and Jet Airways, and Swiss International Air Lines. Just this year, for its Jet Airways B777 first-class suite, B/E Aerospace won the industry’s highly regarded Crystal Cabin Award, from Aircraft Interiors International magazine.
"Each of the airlines we’ve delivered to is completely different," notes Dede Smyth, director of corporate marketing for B/E Aerospace’s Commercial Aircraft Segment in Winston-Salem, N.C. "It’s a highly customized product, and Emirates is definitely the most ‘high-end.’"
B/E Aerospace’s 90,000 square-foot manufacturing plant in Tucson has 526 employees. It is one of 16 principal operation facilities the company has.
The cabinetry, composed of fiberglass and carbon fiber, is built in modules on lean manufacturing lines at the Pantano Road plant, while the aluminum structure seat is manufactured in B/E Aerospace’s facility in Miami, Fla., Rasmussen explains. The seat is shipped to Tucson where it is incorporated into the remainder of the suite.
From Tucson, the company ships the finished unit to Boeing in Seattle, to Airbus in Germany or directly to Emirates in Dubai.
Emirates approached B/E Aerospace to upgrade the suites for the latest B777 aircrafts. The new first-class suites are 4 inches wider (to a total of 42 inches) than earlier models, with a wardrobe that is 6 inches taller as well, allowing for more personal storage. In addition, manual overrides on the seats are more accessible and the hand-held device for the IFE system is now wireless.
Aesthetically, the new cabin laminates are a light-colored honey-walnut finish, the bar unit carries a real onyx counter top, illuminated from below. The new flooring looks like real wood as well, adding to the luxurious experience of the cabin. At night, the ceiling illuminates with a planetarium-like view of the heavens from Dubai.
In addition, first-class suite passengers have the advantage of services such as on-demand dining — similar to in-room dining at a luxury hotel or resort. And, among the electronics upgrades is the capability of plugging a camera or memory stick into the USB slot and viewing the contents on the monitor.
Across the world, Arabian Desert to Sonoran Desert, this continues to be a mutually beneficial relationship. "Emirates has been and continues to be a great customer for us," Rasmussen says. "They have been very supportive during challenges and push us to achieve excellence in luxury, functionality and quality."
Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Dubai is the second largest of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates and ranks as the country’s leading commercial center. The other emirates are Abu Dhabi (capital), Sharjah, Ajman, Um Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Dubai is on the southern shore of the Gulf in the southeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East. The total area of the emirate is 3,885 square kilometers.
Religion
Islam is the official religion of the UAE, and mosques (places of worship) are present throughout the city. A non-Muslim is not permitted to visit a mosque. Other religions, such as Christianity and Hinduism, are allowed to be practiced in the UAE.
Economy
About 90 percent of the city’s revenues are generated by trade, financial services, real estate, construction and tourism. More than 1,500 corporations from 80-plus countries operate in Dubai.
Climate
Dubai has a subtropical arid climate. Temperatures range from 10–30 degrees Celsius in winter and can reach as high as 48 degrees Celsius in summer. Rainfall, if at all, occurs in the winter months, December through March.
Currency
The monetary unit is the Dirham (Dh) which is divided into 100 fils. The official exchange rate is U.S. $1 = Dh 3.675.
Language
The national language is Arabic, but English is widely used in business and in the retail shops.
Local Time
The UAE is four hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
Accommodations
There are more than 350 hotels and hotel apartments in Dubai.
Electricity
Electricity in Dubai is 220 Volts. The three-pin sockets are available everywhere.
Credit Cards
American Express, Diners Club, Visa and MasterCard are generally accepted in the main hotels and the larger shops.
Banks
Banks operate from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Money Exchange houses operate from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m.–8.30 p.m.
Shopping
Home to the Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises, Dubai is famous for offering top international brands at unbelievably reasonable prices.
Business Hours
Private companies work either straight shift from 8 a.m.–6 p.m., or a split shift from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. and 4 p.m.–7 p.m. Government offices are open from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. The weekend is Thursdays and Fridays for government organizations. Private companies and multinationals are usually closed on Fridays and Saturdays. Shopping malls are generally open from 10 a.m.–10 p.m. on all days except Fridays (2 p.m.–10 p.m.).
Dialing Telephone and Mobile Numbers in Dubai
The local city code for Dubai is 04. If you are making an international call to Dubai, you would dial country code 971, city code 4 and then the telephone/fax number. To dial a mobile number from within the UAE, dial 050 and then the number. If dialling a UAE mobile phone number from outside the country, dial country code 971, mobile code 50 and the mobile number.
Developments
The $1 billion Burj Al Arab hotel is considered the world’s most luxurious. In development is a $5.5 billion Palm Island project that involves the creation of three islands (in the form of palm trees) to feature luxury villas, apartments, hotels, and world- class shopping and entertainment venues. The Dubai Marina project will include six towers (and 50 million square feet) for luxury residential living and recreation.
Information
Emirates: www.emirates.com/usa
Dubai: www.dubaitourism.ae/
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