Emirates will launch a second daily service between Dubai and Boston from October 1.
Fares for the new B777-300ER service are now available for purchase. The Boeing widebody aircraft offers a three-class configuration with eight first class suites, 42 business class seats and 304 economy class seats.
Flight EK239 departs Dubai at 0250 and arrives in Boston at 0810. The return service, EK240 will then take off from Boston at 1105 and arrive back in Dubai at 0815 the following day.
This move by Emirates is unsurprising given that the carrier has seen steady growth on its Boston route since launching in March 2014 (see here). In fact, the airline recently upgraded capacity on the service by replacing the B777-200LR with the larger B777-300ER last August (see here).
Tim Clark, president of Emirates also hinted last year that the US city would benefit from more flights by the Gulf carrier. “For the life of me, I can’t see why Boston wouldn’t take a double-daily frequency or A380s in the air,” said Clark speaking to the Boston Herald. “On the basis of the forward bookings, the route would take it.”
Emirates, along with Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, is currently embroiled in a battle against North American carriers Delta, United and American Airlines who have accused the “Big Three” Middle Eastern carriers of receiving market-distorting subsidies that have allowed them to drive down ticket prices and gain a larger share of key markets (see here).
Therefore, ramping up its North American operations now is a logical move for Emirates, as the airline may be anticipating future restrictions on its expansion plans in the region. Furthermore, one of Emirates’ closest partners in the US, Jetblue maintains a sizable hub at Boston Logan International Airport, meaning that passengers will benefit from the mutual codesharing partnership.
With this added daily service, the Gulf carrier will offer a total of 155 weekly flights out of the US across ten destinations.
For more information, visit emirates.com
Clement Huang
