Emirates cements commitment to Los Angeles

Keith Longstaff, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Worldwide, was joined by Los Angeles' Director of International Trade Dario Gomez, Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners President Alan Rothenberg and from The Los Angeles Visitors and Convention Bureau, Carole Martinez to discuss the positive impact this new non-stop flight is expected to have on the greater Los Angeles area, including increased employment opportunities, gross contributions to the local economy and business growth.

The forum offered an opportunity for 40 members of the local media market plus nine journalists who arrived on the inaugural flight to ask questions about the airline, the new Los Angeles route, and the airline's most current updates including the new $4.5bn Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport which opened its doors on October 14.

Mr. Longstaff said,

"We are confident that Emirates' operations in Los Angeles will be successful, and we are already seeing strong demand in our forward bookings. On behalf of Emirates, I would like to thank the City of Los Angeles, the team at LAX, and all of our business partners in California for the warm welcome that we have received."

Mr. Rothenberg explained,

"The Emirates start-of-service is a great beginning of what will be a new era in LAX's role as an international gateway. Emirates is the first airline to offer non-stop service between the U.S. West Coast and the Middle East. The route opens a new destination for business and leisure travelers in the Gulf region, as well as enables travelers to reach every region of the world non-stop from LAX. International trade between our two major air cargo hubs is also expected to expand with the significant cargo capacity available on Emirates' aircraft used for this route."

Dario Gomez agreed, "This new service is a catalyst for new business and trade relations between L.A. and Dubai. We're already seeing the strength of that relationship in the entertainment industry."

Mark Liberman, president and CEO of The Los Angeles Visitors and Convention Bureau, LA INC., has said, "The Emirates new non-stop service provides a much-needed link between the two international cities of LA and Dubai. Now that Los Angeles is connected to the Middle East, it is exciting to welcome new visitors that can discover and explore L.A. nightlife, entertainment, dining and shopping."

Other topics of interest included the airline's plans for LAX lounges and other business and first class perks such as chauffeured service to and from the airport; the aircraft used on the new route, U.S.-built Boeing 777-200LR powered by GE90-110B1L General Electric engines; and the premium onboard amenities passengers can expect while flying Emirates, including luxurious private suites in first class, lie-flat beds in business class, generous space in economy class, over 1,000 channels of in-flight entertainment and much more.

Following presentations from the head table speakers and audience questions, guests enjoyed lunch and a preview of the first and business class catering options on the Los Angeles-Dubai route, including lobster and lamb kebabs and presented by Emirates Food Product Manager, George Banks.

Emirates Flight 215 departs Dubai at 8:20 a.m., arriving in Los Angeles at 1:05 p.m. (local times).

The return route, Flight 216, departs Los Angeles at 4:00 p.m., arriving in Dubai at 7:55 p.m. the following day.

The new flight runs a distance of 8,339 miles, clocking a journey time of 16 hours and 45 minutes from Dubai to Los Angeles, while the shorter return flight is just less than 16 hours.

Photocaption: Speakers at the Emirates press conference are from left to right, Associate Vice President, Media Relations & Communications Carole Martinez for The Los Angeles Visitors and Convention Bureau; Los Angeles' Director of International Trade Dario Gomez; Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Keith Longstaff; and President of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, Alan Rothenberg.

The group are flanked by Emirates cabin crew members Annette Leydon and Kristy Benowitz.