Emirates adds daily service to Chicago

The service will be operated by a Boeing 777-200LR powered by GE90 engines.

Chicago will become the airline’s ninth gateway in the USA, following soon after the commencement of its services to Boston, Massachusetts on 10th March this year.

Speaking about the new route, Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline said: “Chicago has long been a destination in the United States which Emirates has wished to serve. Like Dubai, Chicago is a major global trade and transportation hub with great cultural diversity that is an economic engine for its region.  We welcome the chance to establish a non-stop trade bridge between these two great cities and, via our Dubai hub, to more efficiently link Chicago area passengers and shippers with our international network beyond Dubai to over 140 destinations spanning six continents. This is good news for trade and tourism for both cities, and jobs that rely on both, as well as for consumers who will benefit from greater competitive choice.” 

“Chicago welcomes Emirates, one of the world’s largest international airlines, to our city,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Air transport links are critical for trade and tourism, and Emirates’ non-stop daily flights to Dubai will only add to our global connectivity and further our goal to host 55 million visitors by 2020, in turn generating jobs not only at the airport but across Chicago’s travel and hospitality industries.”  

Analyst Saj Ahmad commented: “Emirates' continued focus on US-expansion shows no end. With services to Chicago, the airline not only directly challenges weaker US airlines like American and United right in their back yard, but that the key business market in this part of the country means a huge pool of high yield corporate traffic that Emirates can tap into.  

“Emirates has made no secret of its desire to more than double its gateways into the United States, and with new, more fuel efficient airplanes in its fleet to allow it to open up such direct routes with plentiful cargo payload means that alongside passenger traffic, Emirates has a virtual freight hauling monopoly too between Dubai and the US cities that it serves.”

Ahmad added: “Given the speed of Emirates' US growth and the lack of reciprocal competitive moves by US airlines, it is easy to see why Emirates is the fastest growing airline in the world - a point that is clearly lost on US airlines.”