US airline Delta will begin flights from Dubai to New York this month.
The flight, using a MD-11 aircraft, will be operated three days a week and marks Delta's first service to the UAE. The first flight will be launched on June 18 will operate every Monday, Thursday and Saturday to New York's John F Kennedy airport. Delta becomes the first carrier to operate direct flights between Dubai and JFK and the only American carrier to operate from the UAE. Dubai-based Sharaf Travel will handle sales operations for Delta locally. Delta flight DL 121 will depart from Dubai International Airport at 07.00 and arrive at New York's JFK, via Cairo, at 15.30. The return flight DL120 will depart JFK at 17.35 and arrive in Dubai the following day at 17.15. The Atlanta headquartered airline has introductory economy class fare of Dh2,700 ($735) of its new flight while the business class introductory fare is Dh8,100. To benefit from these introductory fares, ticketing must be completed by June 30 and outbound travel must begin before July 30. 'The new service and introductory offer is ideally timed to benefit summer vacation travellers,'said Richard Michaels, Delta's Commercial Director, UAE. 'Delta also offers convenient connections from JFK to major cities throughout the US, Canada and Mexico. Delta's new boss Frederick Reid will attend the launch of the Dubai-New York flight. Reid was previously the airline's executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Delta chairman and chief executive officer, Leo Mullin said the move was part of a re-organisation put in place to respond to new challenges facing Delta.