Emirates is set to expand its network even further this year with the start of services to the West Coast of the U.S.On September 1st, 2008, Emirates will open its third U.S. gateway with non-stop flights between the Californian city of Los Angeles and Dubai.
Operating daily, the service will be the first non-stop operation connecting Dubai, the Gateway to Arabia to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the Gateway to Hollywood.  Emirates will fly its Boeing 777-200LR on the route, offering 266 seats in a three class configuration and offer up to 11 tons of cargo capacity out of L.A. with 9 tons of capacity into the destination.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “L.A. represents Emirates’ commitment to the American market.  We have evaluated the U.S. for expansion opportunities and have carefully examined our existing services in Houston and New York - both of which have been very successful.  We look forward to recreating this success by connecting L.A. to Dubai and beyond.”

Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles said: “I am pleased that Emirates has chosen L.A. as its U.S. West Coast gateway and I look forward to the start of service later this year.  The route opens a new destination for business and leisure travelers in the Gulf region, a part of the world not previously served from Los Angeles.  It will also enable travelers to reach every region of the world non-stop from LAX.”

The new flight runs a distance of 8,339 miles, clocking 16 hours 35 minutes journey time to California, while the shorter return flight will be at just under 16 hours.

The non-stop, long haul flight will be delivered in the highest standards of comfort: Emirates’ 777-200LR is fitted with eight luxurious private suites in First class, 42 of its latest lie-flat seats in Business class, and generous space for 216 passengers in Economy class.

Passengers in all classes will enjoy the award-winning service from Emirates’ international cabin crew recruited from over 100 countries around the world; meals prepared by gourmet chefs; as well as the airline’s award-winning ICE Digital Widescreen product (information, communication, entertainment) now boasting over 1,000 channels of entertainment in all classes and nearly 1,700 hours of video and audio entertainment.

The new service will also provide its customers in the Middle East and Asia with direct access to California’s largest city and the second largest city in the U.S.  Los Angeles is one of the world’s best known centers of culture and international trade and is famed for its status as the capital of the western film industry. Other significant industries in L.A. include aerospace, agriculture, petroleum and tourism.

 

LAX is located 15 miles southwest of Los Angeles and is the world’s fifth busiest passenger airport.  In 2007, the airport handled more than 61 million people.

 

L.A. is the fourth new destination that Emirates has announced it will be introducing in 2008.  The airline has already announced its plans to start services to Cape Town on March 30th and Calicut, India and Guangzhou, China, both on July 1st of this year.  The new route joins Emirates’ growing map of American destinations including a double daily service to New York’s JFK International Airport and its daily service to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
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