Dubai:

Emirates is expanding in the US and Iran with the launch of two new flights on Tuesday.

The airline is launching five weekly flights to Mashhad in north eastern Iran, a city that two million foreigners reportedly visit each year.

Mashhad will be Emirates’ second destination in Iran after Tehran, the capital, where it already flies four times a day.

Iran’s population of 80 million and the recent nuclear accord that will lift economic sanctions against Iran from early next year is expected to spur trade and investment with the country.

“We anticipate that trade between the UAE and Iran to further flourish as a result of the launch of this new direct five times weekly service,” Khalid Mohammad Al Hinai, Emirates Vice-President Cargo Commercial for the Middle East, GCC and Iran, said in statement on August 24.

Emirates is also launching daily flights to Orlando, Florida, its tenth destination in the US.

Emirates will be hoping to carry a sizeable share of tourists who travel to Orlando each year, including the 59 million that visited the city in 2013, according to the city’s tourism association.

The city hosts more than a dozen theme parks, including the world famous Disney World. It is also home to Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando and a one hour drive from LegoLand Florida.

The expansion into the US and Iran was announced in March and July, respectively, as US airlines Delta, United and American have been calling for the US government to renegotiate its air service agreement with the United Arab Emirates.

“The response to our Orlando service so far has been positive and will provide a good foundation to build upon. The inbound and outbound booking levels look healthy and the rest of the year is promising,” Hubert Frach, Emirates airline Divisional Senior Vice-President Commercial Operations, West, told Gulf News by email last week.

Emirates, along with Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, has repeatedly denied claims by the US airlines this year they receive unfair state subsidies that violate the US’ open skies policy, including a recent allegation against Etihad that a $2.5 billion 2014 capital injection from sole shareholder, the Abu Dhabi government, is a subsidy

The Gulf airlines argue they offer a more value-for-money service and are connecting passengers from markets, such as Iran, the US airlines do not fly to.

Emirates first flight to Orlando will carry passengers from more than 29 countries, Frach said.