Emirates has announced it will launch a daily service between Dubai and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on 15 December 2016, serving the South Florida area, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and West Palm Beach. This will be Emirates’ 11th passenger route in the United States.
The airline will operate a GE-powered US-built Boeing 777-200LR aircraft in a three-class configuration on the route, offering eight First Class suites, 42 Business Class lie-flat beds and 216 Economy Class seats for travellers, and up to 15 tonnes of bellyhold cargo for shippers.“Fort Lauderdale and Miami are two of America’s most exciting destinations for leisure and business travel,” said Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline. “Broward County and Dade County combined to host more than 25 million visitors last year, mainly from the United States and Latin America.”He added: “We anticipate our service will contribute to the economy of South Florida by bringing new travellers to the area from across our route network, at the same time offering greater competitive choice for consumers and new one-stop passenger and air cargo connectivity for the region to the global destinations that we serve. We launched our non-stop Dubai-Orlando service roughly a year ago and its strong performance encouraged us to select Fort Lauderdale as our 11th US destination.”“Broward County is honored that Emirates airline has selected FLL as their gateway to our vibrant and exciting destination,” said Marty Kiar, Broward County Mayor. “This non-stop service will allow world travellers to experience our sun-drenched beaches to the majestic beauty of the Everglades and all the sensational attractions of a cosmopolitan area. Additionally, our residents can now explore the Middle East and the other 150 plus cities served by this world class airline.”“Amid seemingly endless airline consolidation and diminishing value for travellers, this new service from Emirates is a welcome development,” said US Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “When international airlines open new routes to US airports, providing supply where there is previously unmet demand, both flyers and local economies benefit enormously from higher customer service standards and the good, non-exportable jobs fuelled by increased travel. We hope to see more of this type of service expansion, which provides a much-needed infusion of connectivity and healthy competition into our aviation market.”
