UPDATE 10:00 AM: From 2006-2008, Emirates operated a flight from Hamburg to New York. Therefore, the flight announced Monday will be their first trans-Atlantic flight since 2007, not first ever.
Emirates on Monday announced their first trans-Atlantic route, operating between New York (JFK) and Milan Malpensa (MXP) starting on October 1, 2013. The flight will be operated on the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, while the two daily flights to Dubai (DXB) will remain on the Airbus A380.
Emirates will be competing with several airlines on this direct route, which is currently served by American Airlines on a Boeing 767-300, Delta on a Boeing 767-400, and Alitalia on a Airbus A330. Emirates will be running the largest aircraft on this route holding 364 passengers, as well as the only aircraft with a first class cabin.
“Operating a trans-Atlantic route has been on our agenda for some time,” said Tim Clark, President, Emirates. “The route is currently underserved, particularly with a strong premium product offering – this is where we see a clear opening for Emirates,” added Clark.
The inbound flight to JFK is timed so that passengers may easily connect to various JetBlue flights to other east coast cities, while the MXP flight connects to easyJet flights for access to other European cities.
Emirates flight EK206 will depart New York at 22:20hrs arriving in Milan at 12:15hrs the following day before departing for Dubai at 14:00hrs. The return journey on flight EK205 will depart Milan at 16:00hrs arriving in New York at 19:00hrs the same day.
