UAE. Emirates is launching its first passenger service from the Middle East to North America on 1 June. For this route the ambitious Dubai carrier is introducing another innovation in commercial air travel: a fully-enclosed US$175,000 First Class suite.
The new daily non-stop A340-500 service from Dubai to New York JFK Airport (terminal four) will connect the largest city and number one inbound market for overseas visitors in the US with Dubai, which ranks among the world’s fastest-growing commercial hubs.
The service aims to introduce unprecedented inflight comforts in all cabin classes and provide greatly-improved connections for travellers from North America to the Gulf region, Africa, the Indian sub-continent and Asia Pacific.
The service will enable passengers from New York to connect in Dubai to points east and south of the Gulf. In commercial terms it spells good news for concessionaires at JFK T4, notably DFS Group and the general merchandise and speciality shop retailer Saveria/Aer Rianta International.
Dubai Duty Free and Emirates’ own inflight sales operation will also benefit considerably by the boost in traffic.
Emirates said the Dubai-New York route marks “only the beginning” of its passenger service in the Americas. The airline plans to expand in the near future to other gateways in the US, Canada and South America.
Emirates’ senior vice-president commercial operations, the Americas, Nigel Page said: “The demand numbers already exist for a rapid succession of other gateway openings throughout North America. This is the first time that Emirates will have a direct passenger link between the “˜New World’ and Dubai, but off-line sales to American travellers connecting onto Emirates flights at overseas gateways have increased every year since 1992, when we first opened an office in New York.”
He added: “Just in the 12 months through the end of February, the number of travellers from the US who arrived in Dubai on Emirates flights increased by +61% in first class, 47% in business and 31% in economy.”
The 12 fully-enclosed First Class suites feature flat beds and sliding doors that can be opened or closed for privacy.
Other features include quieter cabins, revolutionary lighting to help reset body clocks and minimise jetlag, the world’s most advanced inflight entertainment, with 500-plus channels, and Room Service, an Emirates first. Customers phone the galley to order meals, served at their seat at the time of their choice.
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