Emirates Airline pre-launch events promote world’s first non-stop services from Dubai to Los Angeles and San Francisco

In advance of its launch of the world’s first non-stop services from Dubai to Los Angeles and San Francisco, Emirates Airline recently completed the final instalment of its tour of five West Coast roadshows for the U.S. travel industry at an exclusive event held at the Fairmont San Jose, California. The star of the shows was the Emirates newly-designed First Class Private Suite- one of the many outstanding products that has highlighted the airline’s reputation for delivering excellence in customer service and comfort.

Led by Emirates Airline executives and emcee Bill Rancic, winner of the first season of the popular U.S. television series, The Apprentice, the San Jose event featured a multi-media presentation about Dubai and Emirates, live entertainment, as well as an opportunity to sit in the Boeing 777-200LR First Class Private Suite. The new suite for First Class passengers features an extra-large seat that reclines to become a fully-flat bed, a 23” wide-screen LCD screen that offers more than 1,000 channels of entertainment and is equipped with individual storage, a coat closet, vanity desk and personal mini bar.

“The San Francisco Bay Area is undoubtedly one of the most innovative high-tech business centres in the U.S., if not the world. Emirates’ direct route will create a new, highly convenient opportunity for Bay Area companies to do business in Dubai,” said Nigel Page, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, The Americas. “Our new Los Angeles service will connect travellers to the capital of the world’s entertainment industry. Coinciding with the establishment of a growing media industry in Dubai, the L.A. route represents excellent access for growing business connections. Both services will also expand access for leisure travellers interested in visiting California- one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States.”

The roadshows were kicked-off in Phoenix, Arizona on 6th June followed by San Francisco on 12th June, Orange County, California on 18th June, Los Angeles 19th June and finally San Jose, California on 26th June. Combined, the events were attended by close to 4,000 travel and cargo agents from the western United States. The Los Angeles roadshow, a lavish affair held at Paramount Studios, was attended by more than 1,200 industry professionals.

Emirates Dubai-Los Angeles/San Francisco Services

Emirates will be the first airline to connect Dubai and the U.S. West Coast using its newest, technologically-advanced Boeing 777-200LR aircraft on the route. The aircraft offers 266 seats in a three class configuration. The service will also offer 10 tonnes of cargo capacity in both directions. The new daily nonstop service between Dubai and Los Angeles will commence 1st October, 2008 and Dubai to San Francisco will start on 20th November, 2008.

Emirates passengers will enjoy an unparalleled in-flight experience, including the airline’s award-winning ICE Digital Widescreen product (information, communication, entertainment) that offers over 1,000 channels of entertainment in all classes, thoughtfully-designed cabins and seating that provide enhanced comfort and legroom, meals prepared by world-class chefs and exceptional service from Emirates’ international cabin crew recruited from over 100 countries around the world.

Los Angles will become Emirates third U.S. destination and San Francisco the country’s fourth on Emirates’ growing international route network, adding to 99 destinations in 62 countries. In the Americas, Emirates currently offers nonstop daily service from Dubai to Houston, a six-times weekly service to Sao Paulo Brazil, and a thrice weekly service to Toronto, Canada. In August 2008, Emirates will inaugurate the new Airbus A380 on its popular Dubai-JFK route, commencing the first-ever commercial service of the double-decker aircraft to the United States. The Dubai-JFK service will continue to operate twice daily.

About Emirates

Since its launch in 1985, Emirates Airline has received more than 400 international awards in recognition of its efforts to provide unsurpassed levels of customer service.

The airline has experienced rapid and consistent growth, above 20 per cent a year on average and has been profitable for the last 20 consecutive years. Financially self-sustained and unprotected, Emirates carried 21.2 million passengers in the 2007-08 financial year – almost four million more than the year before – and declared a record net profit of Dhs 5.3 billion (US$ 1.4 billion). Total group revenue was an impressive Dhs 41.2 billion (US$ 11.2 billion).

Emirates is the world’s third most profitable and among the 20 largest international airlines and one of the fastest-growing. It is based in Dubai, one of the few cities in the world that pursues an open-skies policy, with more than 130 airlines in free and fair competition.

Its 117 all wide-bodied fleet includes 10 freighters and is among the youngest in the skies, with an average age of 67 months. The airline plans to more than double its size by 2012.

Emirates presently has 180 aircraft pending delivery, worth approximately US$58 billion in list prices. At the Dubai AirShow in November 2007 Emirates announced a historic civil aviation aircraft order when it signed contracts for 120 Airbus A350s, 11 A380s, and 12 Boeing 777-300ERs, worth an estimated US$34.9 billion in list prices.

Emirates order for 58 A380s, which it will start receiving in 2008, makes it the largest customer of the Airbus super-jumbo.

Emirates operates services to 99 cities in over 62 countries in Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Asia-Pacific. New routes announced for 2008 include Cape Town, Guangzhou, Kozhikode, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Emirates has codeshare agreements with Air India, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Oman Air, Philippine Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, South African Airways, and Thai Airways.

Emirates Airline includes Emirates SkyCargo and Destination & Leisure Management (D&LM), which manages Emirates Holidays, Arabian Adventures and Emirates Hotels & Resorts. The airline is part of the Emirates Group, which also includes associate companies Dnata, Mercator, Transguard and EmQuest.

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