Emirates to Launch Flights to 4 New Cities Later This Year

Emirates is set to expand its international reach by introducing flights to four additional cities later this year. This move reflects the airline’s commitment to growing its global network and meeting rising travel demand. By adding these new destinations, Emirates aims to offer more connectivity and travel options for passengers worldwide. The expansion is part of the airline’s broader strategy to strengthen its presence in key markets and support tourism and business travel across regions.

Emirates, with its extensive widebody fleet, ranks among the top global airlines in terms of international and long-haul seat capacity, though its ranking drops when flights are measured without considering aircraft size. Data from ch-aviation shows Emirates currently operates 249 passenger aircraft, including a large number of Boeing 777-300ERs and Airbus A380s.

Based on schedules submitted to Cirium Diio, Emirates plans to operate passenger services to 143 destinations from Dubai this year. If its partner flydubai is included, that total rises to 240, though this summary focuses solely on Emirates. The airline is adding four new cities to its route network in 2024: Da Nang, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Siem Reap, and it is also expected to resume flights to Tel Aviv.

Siem Reap, famous for being home to Angkor Wat, will become Emirates' least-served destination once flights commence. Da Nang, Emirates' third destination in Vietnam, will see more service than Siem Reap, with four weekly flights using high-capacity Boeing 777-300ERs, catering largely to tourists and those visiting friends and family.

Following a bilateral air services agreement signed between the UAE and China last year, Emirates gained 14 additional weekly flights to China. With the addition of services to Hangzhou and Shenzhen, both operated daily, the airline has now fully utilized its 49 weekly allowances. These join its existing services to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

Dubai’s strategic location supports strong tourism and trade ties with China, giving Emirates a competitive edge in this market compared to other Gulf carriers. The carrier benefits from both connecting traffic and significant local demand.

Shenzhen, a major tech hub with immense wealth, and Hangzhou, another wealthy city with a thriving economy, represent strong new markets for Emirates. While these cities are close to Guangzhou, overlap in services is expected to be minimal due to the size of the populations and market demand.

Both Hangzhou and Shenzhen already had notable travel demand to Dubai, and Emirates is expected to grow this further. The airline will also benefit from substantial cargo volumes on these routes, leveraging the 777-300ER's strong freight capabilities.

However, launching daily service with its large three-class 777-300ERs might be overly ambitious at first. A more gradual approach using its smaller A350-900s - though limited in number - may have been more practical. Changes could still occur with the upcoming winter schedule.

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Source: simpleflying‍