British Airways to Challenge Emirates with Dreamliner Flight to Dubai

British Airways is competing with Gulf carriers over luxury travellers by flying its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its Dubai route.

The new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will feature a new First cabin with just eight seats, in comparison to the 14 seats on other British Airways long-haul aircraft. The cut-down on seat numbers will give "more exclusivity and privacy to customers", said the British carrier.

The Dreamliner will start flying to Dubai from October next year, following the launch of the aircraft to Abu Dhabi and Muscat in November of 2015, the airline said.

"We launched our 787-9 Dreamliner on the Abu Dhabi route last month and already we are receiving great feedback from our customers," said Paolo De Renzis, head of Middle East, Africa and Central Asia Sales for British Airways.

UAE airlines such as Emirates and Etihad Airways have been competing vigorously on luxury travel with Etihad launching its Airbus A380 aircraft to London Heathrow last year. The upper deck of the A380 has "The Residence", Etihad's three-room luxurious suite, the first of its kind in civil aviation.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways owns a near 10 percent stake in IAG, the mother company of British Airways and Spanish Iberia.