How Emirates Is Expanding In The UK & US

This month, Simple Flying was on the scene to witness the opening of Emirates’ experimental travel store in Kensington, London. At this new site, aspirational travelers can try out what it would be like to sit in the premium economy and first class seats on the Dubai-based carrier’s aircraft before booking their flight. During the festivities, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, spoke to Simple Flying about how important the United Kingdom and United States markets are to his company.

The center of attention

Emirates has a long history in the UK. The country was a pioneering destination for the airline, with operations at Gatwick commencing in 1987. Now, including the addition of Edinburgh in November, Emirates serves eight airports across Great Britain.

So, it’s unsurprising that Emirates is looking to scale up its presence in the country’s capital of London. At this travel store on Gloucester Road, customers can even sample what it’s like to lean on an Airbus A380 bar! It’s an innovative way to sell up or inspire passengers ahead of their travels.

Kazim explained that this store is just one of several airline investments in the UK market. After all, the company’s name can be seen all across the nation’s broader economy,

The executive explained:

“Today, we have 133 frequencies in the UK. With Edinburgh coming live in November, that will increase to 140 weekly services, which is quite big. We have a lot of investment in terms in the country, such as partnerships with Arsenal and Wimbledon. That’s a testimony to how the UK is important. The brand Emirates is quite solid in the UK, and it’s sitting among the top tier of the brands available in this market. It’s well appreciated and well recognized. That’s why, for us, it’s important to have such a retail shop, complementing all the good things happening in terms of the demand, capacity and frequencies we operate here.”

Transatlantic adventures

It’s not only the UK where Emirates has been advancing its service. Emirates also has a robust network in the US, where it has been partnering with the likes of United Airlines to boost links.

Kazim shared:

“We operate more than 12 points in the US. We have a very solid partnership with United. Between us and United, we are covering more than 350 small points in terms of connectivity from the four hubs that we operate. In the US, we have over 170 frequencies.”

Six destinations will see the carrier’s retrofitted Boeing 777s with premium economy seats this winter. The program is being rolled out on routes to Chicago, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Seattle, Newark, and Miami. Notably, the latter two destinations are linked to Athens and Bogotá, respectively, highlighting Emirates’ drive to optimize fifth-freedom opportunities in the US. Milan Malpensa-JFK is another example in the New York area.

Widebody prospects

Emirates flies its famed Airbus A380 to 10 destinations across the UK and US. Heathrow is by far the busiest site for the superjumbo, receiving the plane on 180 flights next month according to Cirium.

In the UK, the A380 flies to:

• London Heathrow
• London Gatwick
• Birmingham
• Manchester
• Glasgow

In the US, the widebody is seen at:

• Washington Dulles
• George Bush Intercontinental
• New York JFK
• Los Angeles International
• San Francisco

While the A380 is a fan favorite, incoming aircraft will soon support Emirates to continue advancing on long-haul routes. Last November, Emirates ordered 15 additional A350-900s to bring its total logbook to 65 units, and Edinburgh is set to become the aircraft’s launch destination.

The airline also has 205 on order, split between 170 777-9s and 35 777-8s. These planes, along with the A350, will help meet capacity demand in the coming years.

As Kazim concluded:

“The US remains to be one of the core markets that we focus on. We can do more with the fleet that is coming in the future, with the A350ULR type soon arriving. Plus, we will have the 777X. So, I’m sure we’ll be able to do more in terms of tapping into new markets and new domains in the US.”

Altogether, Emirates is continuing to show that it isn’t only a powerhouse name in its home country of the United Arab Emirates; it’s a global entity with a stronghold on operations across continents. We can expect further expansion from the airline as we head into the middle of the decade.