Emirates Wants Denver, and Maybe Two More American Cities

Emirates is weighing a push into three American cities it does not serve today: Denver, Detroit and Philadelphia. President Tim Clark told The Points Guy that the list of possible markets is long, though no launch dates have been set for any new U.S. route.

The airline’s American footprint is small. The report names Newark and Miami, with Miami having replaced Fort Lauderdale in 2021 and Newark being Emirates’ last entirely new U.S. destination, added in 2017. Denver stands out because it is the only United hub that Emirates does not already reach.

Aircraft are the enabler. Emirates expects its first 777-9s, carrying 300 to 400 seats, in 2027, years after the type was originally due in 2020, and it has more than 300 Airbus A350s, Boeing 787s and 777Xs on order. Those more fuel-efficient jets should let it serve more cities profitably from Dubai.

Clark says demand in Emirates’ core markets remains strong, and the airline is profitable even with kerosene averaging $4.58 a gallon in the week ending October 16, according to IATA. It is pressing ahead despite conflicts involving Iran and the Houthis. United launched a Newark–Dubai route under its Emirates partnership but suspended it in February after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, so treat any new route as a possibility rather than a plan.

Sources: The Points Guy