Emirates enjoys lone-star welcome

The flight, carrying 266 passengers on Emirates' new, state-of-the art Boeing 777-200LR, was met on arrival by Emirates' Chairman and Chief Executive, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, and Richard Vacar, Director of Aviation of the Houston Airport System.

Representing Emirates' second U.S. gateway, the new route will offer business and leisure travellers the fastest link between Texas and the UAE with a 15 hour flight from Houston to Dubai and a return of approximately 17 hours. The route follows on the success of Emirates' first destination in the United States, New York which has been operating since 2004 and grown to become a three-flights-a-day service.

The Houston service will operate three times a week, increasing to daily on 1st February 2008. The new Boeing 777-200LR features eight luxurious private suites in First Class, 42 of its latest lie-flat seats in Business and generous space for 216 in Economy. Additionally, the aircraft offers shippers up to 12 tonnes of cargo capacity.

The launch to Houston falls on the heels of Emirates historic aircraft order announcement made on 11th November at the Dubai Air Show when it signed contracts for a 120 Airbus A350s, 11 A380s, and 12 Boeing 777-300ERs, worth an estimated $34.9bn in list prices.

"Emirates has looked forward to bringing business and tourism traffic to America's south and southwest and specifically to Houston and the state of Texas. With the growing demand, particularly from discerning business travellers, we are confident that the new service will prove to be very popular and we look forward to serving the region with our growing fleet,"

said Sheikh Ahmed.

Dignitaries onboard the inaugural flight included Mr. Paul Sutphin, American Consul General for Dubai and the northern Emirates and a delegation of senior Emirates executives comprising Ghaith al Ghaith, Executive Vice President Commercial Operations Worldwide and Hiran Perera, Senior Vice President Cargo Freighters.

The service was operated by an entirely American flight crew: Captain Jeffrey Hoyt, Captain Ahmed Kakar, First Officer Gregory Lampke and First Officer Trond Tennes.

Emirates operates one of the youngest aircraft fleets and offers passengers some of the industry's most modern amenities and technologies in air travel, including its award-winning ICE -information, communication and entertainment system. The latest ICE Digital Widescreen system on Emirates' 777-200LR aircraft offers passengers a selection of more than 1000 channels of entertainment on demand and the ability to send and receive email and text messages from their personal in-seat entertainment systems. Emirates passengers are also treated to multi-course meals prepared by gourmet chefs in all three classes.

For its young travellers, Emirates offers special amenities including a children's menu, onboard activity packs, as well as baby bassinets, baby change tables and a food/bottle heating service.