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Effective November 1st, Emirates will deploy its Airbus A350-900 on the Dubai-Orlando route. This will be the first time the airline has used this aircraft on a US route. The aircraft change affects one daily flight. The Boeing 777, which has been in service since the launch of the Florida route in 2015, is being retired.
The outbound flight, EK219, departs Dubai (DXB) at 3:05 a.m. and lands in Orlando (MCO) at 10:20 a.m. local time. On the return flight, EK220 departs Orlando at 8:20 p.m. and arrives in Dubai at 7:10 p.m. the following day.
Emirates’ A350 offers a total of 298 seats, including 32 Business Class seats (1-2-1 configuration), 28 Premium Economy seats (2-3-2), and 238 Economy seats (3-3-3).
Why Orlando?
Emirates presents this choice as a commitment to Central Florida. Orlando is primarily a tourist market, and the airline sees an increasing demand from American customers for superior comfort without having to travel in Business Class. Matthew Jones, Emirates’ Vice President for the United States, emphasized that this deployment allows them to offer travelers in the region the latest generation of onboard experience.
Twelve US destinations for Emirates
With Orlando, Emirates now serves a total of 12 cities in the United States with direct flights: Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington. Orlando becomes the first of these cities to receive the A350 in regular service.