Emirates Will Fly To Seattle, Dallas

Dubai Dubai-based Emirates airline is taking on the biggest American carriers by starting services to two new destinations - Seattle and Dallas - the hubs of American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

Dallas-Fort Worth and Seattle-Tacoma international airports will be served by non-stop flights from next February 2 and March 1 respectively.

"If there is one thing this move will do, it will make other GCC carriers and US airlines sit up and take note," said Saj Ahmad, a UK-based aviation analyst.

"For too long US airlines have been reticent about competing with Gulf carriers and now with the biggest Arab carrier, Emirates, serving two huge cities, neither they nor the likes of Etihad and Qatar Airways can afford to sit on the sidelines for long," he added.

"It's likely Qatar Airways and Etihad will also launch similar services, but don't count on US carriers starting any long-haul flights from Seattle to Dubai anytime soon. They don't have the market presence, fleet or capital to expand as Emirates can," Ahmad said.

"Emirates has made a great strategic coup here, particularly with Seattle. No doubt Boeing will be delighted with this move, and rightfully so."

The Dubai-based carrier currently serves New York, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, it is yet to serve Chicago, Atlanta and Washington DC.

"These new services emphasise Emirates' confidence in, and long-term commitment to, the United States," Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said in a statement. "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."

Heart of US northwest

Seattle is at the heart of the Pacific Northwest, a 643.7km 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 and Nordstrom.

Emirates' Seattle route will help to 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 (Dh14.6 trillion) by 2030.

Already the largest operator of Boeing 777 aircraft in the world, Emirates last year ordered an additional 30 777-300ERs, bringing its total 777 passenger fleet commitments to 132 aircraft.

âEUR~Ahead of the curve'

Shaikh Ahmad said: "Our latest expansion also serves as a powerful indicator of how Emirates continues to invest in products and services even during difficult economic climates.

"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."

The Seattle metropolitan area produced $24.2 billion in total exports in 2008, according to a Brookings Institution study, with exports to the UAE totalling $2.76 billion in 2009. During the same year, Texan exports to the UAE exceeded $1.7 billion, representing export growth of more than 192 per cent since 2002.

"Emirates serves as a gateway from the US to an important part of the world," said Bill Bryant, Port of Seattle Commission president. "This direct service connects Seattle to a new region, creating jobs and tourism opportunities for our state."

Dallas' economy

The gross domestic product of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area was estimated at $382 billion in 2008, equal to the GDP of Norway and Saudi Arabia, and larger than that of Austria and Denmark.

The area is home to 24 Fortune 500 companies, including ExxonMobil, Texas Instruments, Kimberly-Clark and J.C. Penney.

Commodities traded between Dallas and the UAE include oil and gas industry related machinery, spares and high-tech equipment. A 15-tonne bellyhold capacity on each Emirates flight will support this trade.

Starting February 2, 2012, EK 221 will leave Dubai daily at 2.45am, arriving at Dallas-Fort Worth at 9.05am.

The return flight, EK 222, leaves Dallas at 11.50am, arriving at Dubai International Airport at 12.20pm the following day.

From March 1, 2012, EK 229 will leave Dubai daily at 9.50am and arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 1.10pm. EK 230 will depart Seattle at 5.10pm, arriving in Dubai at 7.40pm the following day.

Both services will be operated on Emirates' Boeing 777 aircraft.