WORLD ROUTES 2011: Emirates Boosts its US Presence with Dallas and Seattle Links

Emirates Airline is set for significant expansion in the US market after announcing this week that it will inaugurate daily services to Seattle and Dallas during the first quarter of 2012. The Dubai-based carrier already offers a twice daily service to Houston and New York, but it is understood that frequency reductions may take place on at least one of these routes to facilitate the growth.

The new route between Dubai International and Dallas/Fort Worth International will commence on February 2, 2012 and will place the Middle Eastern carrier into a market dominated by American Airlines. The service to Seattle Tacoma International will commence on March 1, 2012 and will be the first connection to the city from the region. Both services will be operated by Boeing 777 aircraft with private suites in First Class, lie-flat beds in Business Class and Economy seating.

“These new services emphasise Emirates’ confidence in, and long-term commitment to, the United States,” said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group. “With six gateways offering convenient connectivity from points across the country, customers travelling to and from the US will find it easier than ever to access our vast global network.”

“Our latest expansion also serves as a powerful indicator of how Emirates continues to invest in products and services even during difficult economic climates,” he continued. “This is because we have always been ahead of the curve in anticipating what is now becoming an accepted truth – that demand for air travel will continue to grow over the long term in spite of the many challenges the industry faces. In making this investment now, Emirates is providing a timely economic boost to the United States whilst ensuring that we are soundly placed to serve our customers’ future air travel needs.”

Seattle sits at the heart of the Pacific Northwest, a 400 mile corridor which encompasses the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho in the United States, and British Columbia in Canada. The city is home to some of the world’s most recognisable global companies, including Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, Expedia, Nintendo and Nordstrom.

The Pacific Northwest region also boasts a wealth of world class tourist attractions, including mountains, ski slopes, beaches and fresh water lakes, while Seattle is a gateway to leading ski resort Whistler and Yellowstone, America’s first national park, which is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk.

The Seattle route will help to further strengthen the airline’s links with Boeing. Only this month, Boeing predicted a robust outlook for aircraft manufacturing over the next few decades, estimating that there would be demand for approximately 31,000 planes worth $4 trillion by 2030. Emirates is already the largest operator of Boeing 777 aircraft in the world ordering an additional 30 last year to bring total commitments to 132 aircraft.

“Emirates is not only the world's largest international carrier - it serves as a gateway from the United States to an important part of the world,” said Bill Bryant, President of the Port of Seattle Commission. “This direct service connects Seattle to a new region, creating jobs and tourism opportunities for our state.”

Emirates’ Seattle service will help support key exports from Washington State, including software, sound and television equipment, aircraft parts, medical and surgical supplies, video games and foodstuffs; headed for markets including the United Arab Emirates, China, Japan, India and Hong Kong. The Seattle metropolitan area produced $ 24.2 billion in total exports in 2008, according to a Brookings Institution study, with exports to the United Arab Emirates totalling $2.76 billion in 2009.

But it is the Dallas route that will launch first and which has raised eyebrows among North Americans as the carrier arrives in American Airlines’ own backyard. The numbers are simple though. The Gross Domestic Product of the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex was estimated at $382 billion in 2008, equal to the national GDP of Norway and Saudi Arabia, and larger than that of Austria and Denmark. The metroplex is home to 24 Fortune 500 companies, including ExxonMobil, Texas Instruments, Kimberly-Clark and J C Penney, which will all bring demand to the route.

In 2009, Texan exports to the UAE reached over $1.7 billion - representing export growth of more than 192 per cent since 2002. Commodities piped between Dallas and the UAE include oil and gas industry related machinery, spares and high-tech equipment. A belly-hold capacity of 15 tonnes on each flight will help support this trade.

“This announcement from Emirates brings a new and highly valued international airline partner to Dallas Fort Worth,” said Jeffrey P Fegan, Chief Executive Officer, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. “Emirates' daily non-stop service between Dallas Fort Worth and Dubai connects two global super-hubs for US travellers to the Far and Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Africa on a trendsetting airline.”