The recuperation of business and aviation ties between the UAE and the United States were given a boost yesterday when Delta Air Lines inaugurated the first flight on its new Dubai-Atlanta direct route. The inaugural flight touches down this evening at Dubai International Airport. Delta is the only US airline to operate between Dubai and the US, offering a five-times-a-week service from Dubai with hundreds of onward connecting opportunities offered via Delta's huge Atlanta hub.
"This new route to Dubai will not only serve to increase commerce and tourism between the Gulf and the US, but will also provide our customers with convenient connections throughout the States, Canada, South America and the Caribbean," commented Tony Charaf, Delta's senior vice president of Technical Operations.
Paul Sutphin (below, second right), the United States consul general in Dubai, said: "We are very enthusiastic about Delta's new service. With over 500 US companies registered in Dubai and more than 26,000 US citizens living in the UAE, we are confident that this non-stop link to one of the America's most dynamic commercial centres - as well as one of its most important travel hubs - will boost trade and tourism between the US and UAE."
Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb, executive director, Operations and Marketing for the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: "The growth in trade and tourism between the two countries is extremely healthy. Trade between the US and the UAE reached almost $12 billion last year. Over the past ten years the number of US visitors to Dubai per year has multiplied by ten times. During the same period the number of US companies in Jebel Ali Free Zone has doubled to 227 and the whole world knows about Halliburton's decision to open a head office here."
Delta will operate the new service using Boeing 777-200ER aircraft seating up to 268 passengers and featuring Delta's refurbished business and economy class service. Customers can enjoy Delta's award-winning BusinessElite service featuring all-leather sleeper seats with 152 cm of legroom, a 2-2-2 configuration which means there is never a middle seat, innovative food offerings designed by celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein, on-demand personal in-seat entertainment boasting more than 20 first-run and popular classic movies, a variety of TV programmes, a broad range of music, and a suite of 12 video games. Economy class customers also will benefit from new all-leather economy seats, amenity kits and enhanced food offerings. All flights will have Arabic speaking flight attendants on-board.
The flight time to Atlanta is just over 14 hours.
© 7Days 2007
