Dubai Emirates launched the first direct service between the Middle East and America's north-west Thursday when its flight from Dubai departed for Seattle.
With two fast-growing regions now better linked, the Emirates service to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will generate a host of economic benefits — from boosting imports and exports to creating new markets for business and tourism, the airline said.
Emirates' recent order for an additional 50 Boeing 777-300ERs fitted with American-made GE90 engines, plus options for 20 more aircraft worth a total of $26 billion (Dh95.5 billion) at list prices, will support over 100,000 skilled American jobs in more than a dozen US states.
"Emirates has looked forward to the day when we would connect Seattle to our home hub in Dubai, on flights operated by state-of-the-art, Seattle-built aircraft," said Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group.
"This new service is the latest step in Emirates' strategic programme of expansion across the United States, and we are confident that it will support the burgeoning trade relationship between the UAE and the Seattle metropolitan region.
"Emirates highly values its partnerships with American business and industry, and we look forward to strengthening these links as we invest in growing our presence across the country."
Shaikh Ahmad was accompanied to Seattle by a high-level UAE delegation including Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Foreign Trade; Major General Mohammad Abdul Rahim Al Ali, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Defence; Hamad Mubarak Bu Amim, Director General of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Justin Siberell, US Consul General in Dubai.
Representing Emirates were President Tim Clark, Adel Al Reda, Executive Vice-President for Engineering and Operations and Ali Mubarak Al Soori, Executive Vice-President for the Chairman's Office and Facilities Management.
Emirates is already the Boeing 777's largest customer and operates flights using the aircraft to each of its six US gateways: New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and now Seattle.
Cementing a bond
"Launching direct flights to Seattle not only cements a long industrial bond with US jetmaker Boeing, not least because the airline will be using 777-300ERs, the other significant factor behind this route is the access to the Pacific north-west and also traffic from Canada," said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
"With no direct flights from the north-western coast of the USA to the Middle East, Emirates will have a rather big market all to itself and what makes this route even more lucrative is the fact that Seattle is a huge shipping port so cargo will be big business for them.
"The launch of this new route obviously coincides just 24 hours before Emirates takes delivery of its 102nd Boeing 777, which will also be the 1,000th 777 built and delivered.
"As Boeing's biggest 777 customer and operator, the link between Seattle and Dubai will make travel far easier and avoid the congestion and delays seen throughout Europe."
With the 2013 Dubai Airshow still in planning, this route could well prove to be a massive PR and revenue spinner for Emirates.
"With that in mind, if Emirates' financial successes here mean more frequencies as they take more 777-300ERs into their fleet, the likes of Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways will have to seriously consider going head to head with Emirates," Ahmad said.
New competition
For the Dubai-based carrier to effectively monopolise arguably one of the world's most profitable under-served connections between the US and the GCC, will mean new market competition, giving customers greater flight choice with better connections and shorter flying times.
"That said, Emirates' continued foray in the USA is not over by a long shot. Expect to see many more US routes being launched," Ahmad said.
A number of other Washington state suppliers contribute to the airline's unprecedented aircraft order book.
The Smart Landing and Smart Runway technology fitted in the Emirates fleet is designed in Honeywell Aerospace's Redmond facility, while Zodiac Aerospace manufactures Emirates' aircraft stowage compartments at their Washington plant.
