Flight EK209 was given a water salute by AIA once it arrived from Dubai, before continuing its journey to Newark Liberty International Airport. The new Dubai-Athens-Newark route is served by Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
“The new flight connects the largest US metropolis with Dubai, with a stopover at one of the leading European capitals,” said Hubert Frach, Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations of Emirates West, during a special ceremony at AIA.
Emirates’ new Dubai-Athens-Newark flight will provide a year-round non-stop daily service between the US and Greece – a service that has not existed since 2012.
“The relaunch of a connection that has been neglected for years by other airlines is expected to consistently attract high demand, boosting entrepreneurship, culture and entertainment on both sides of the Atlantic,” he added.
Emirates flight EK209 will depart Dubai at 10:50 local time, arriving in Athens at 14:25 before departing again at 16:40 and arriving into Newark at 22:00 on the same day. The return flight EK210 will depart Newark at 23:45 local time, arriving in Athens the next day at 15:05. EK210 will depart once again from Athens at 17:10 bound for Dubai where it will arrive at 23:50.
“The year round direct Athens – New York flight by Emirates is an extremely important development for the Athenian market, as it enhances the city’s interconnectivity, offers passengers new options and the excellent travel experience offered by Emirates,” AIA’s CEO, Yiannis Paraschis, said.
“The large number of travelers between Athens and USA annually — which is significantly enhanced by the Greek-American community — demonstrates the growth potential of the service and is a guarantee for its success,” he added.
On her part, the secretary general of the Greek Tourism Ministry, Evridiki Kourneta, referred to the considerable growth potential of arrivals to Greece through the year-round non-stop daily service from the US and the United Arab Emirates, two very important markets for Greece.
Greece’s Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura negotiated and supported the introduction of the direct year-round Athens-New York service as part of the national tourism policy that aims at the opening of new foreign markets, extending the tourism season and enhancing connectivity between Greece and abroad.
The new route complements Emirates’ existing four daily flights between Dubai and New York’s JFK airport, by offering global travellers with another convenient access point to the popular New York Metropolitan area.
In addition to serving the large Greek-American population in the New York City metropolitan area, the availability of one-stop same-plane service to Dubai will offer a convenient alternative to travellers headed towards the Middle East, West Asia, and Africa.
Source: news.gtp.gr