[3] Empress carried 425 tonnes (418 long tons) of coal,[1] enough to give her a range of 1,355 nautical miles (2,509 km; 1,559 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

During that month, the ship transported equipment for the Eastchurch Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service to Ostend, Belgium.

One aircraft was stowed forward and two aft, housed in canvas hangars, and handled with newly fitted cargo booms.

She arrived there in January 1916 and was assigned to the East Indies and Egypt Seaplane Squadron with the carriers Raven II, Anne, and Ben-my-Chree.

[8] In April, Empress was detached from the squadron to support operations off the Aegean coast of Bulgaria, where her aircraft observed for several naval bombardments.

[9] After a refit at Genoa, the ship rejoined the squadron and supported operations off the Syrian and Palestinian coasts until November.