Emirates Airline launched daily nonstop service to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport from Dubai on Thursday, marking the first direct flights between North Texas and the Middle East.
Emirates Flight 221, aboard a 266-passenger Boeing 777, landed at DFW at about 8:45 a.m. and taxied to international Terminal D, receiving the customary "shower of affection" from two airport fire engines.Emirates' return flight left just before noon.Airline and regional officials hailed the launch of the 16-hour flight -- Thursday's was actually 20 minutes shorter -- as significant in opening connections from North Texas to the Middle East, India, Africa and other points."It tells us we have a very strong positive image, and we are doing business all over, even though our partners at American Airlines are going through a major downturn," said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, who was asked to put the event in context with major cuts announced Wednesday by DFW's dominant carrier."I think it just shows a huge amount of confidence," she said.Price, representing the DFW Airport Board, toured the Emirates aircraft, viewing the crew's quarters and sampling the first-class amenities with the help of flight attendants and two pilots.In a ceremony marking the flight's arrival, Price, who was wearing a black Stetson, gave her hat to Yousef Al Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States, who put it on to a perfect fit and applause."He was so charmed by it," said Price, adding one of her afternoon's first errands would be to buy a new hat she could wear in Thursday night's Grand Entry at the Fort Worth Stock Show rodeo.DFW estimates the route will add $227 million of annual economic impact in the region. Jeffrey Fegan, the airport's CEO, used the words "monumental" and "momentous" in welcoming the Dubai-based airline to D/FW.Al Otaiba said more companies from Texas do business in the UAE than any other state.They include area companies such as Lockheed Martin, Fluor, AT&T and Hillwood.Texas exports about $2 billion worth of goods to the UAE annually, "which means a lot of Texas jobs," Al Otaiba said.Nigel Page, senior vice president of commercial operations for the Americas for Emirates, said the inbound flight was about 76 percent full and the return flight nearly 100 percent."I'm not going to say it's always going to be like that, but we're getting off to a good start," said Page, who arrived on the flight and was planning to return to his home in Dubai today so he could share the weekend with his wife.Page estimated that the route would be dominated by business travelers, but that fliers visiting friends and family might make up 30 percent of traffic, and tourists an additional 5 percent.Page is returning to the United States in a month to help launch flights into Seattle/Tacoma Airport, Emirates' sixth U.S. destination. In Texas, the airline also serves Houston.Beyond that, the airline, which will launch service this summer to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Barcelona, Spain, hasn't announced any new U.S. destinations."These long-range routes are challenging," Page said, citing fuel in particular, which makes up about 40 percent of the airline's costs. "I'm proud to say we're profitable."Scott Nishimura, 817-390-7808Twitter: JScottNishimuraHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
