Dubai’s Emirates to resume full US operations this week

Dubai carrier Emirates will restore full scheduled operations to all US destinations by Saturday, January 22.

Meanwhile, the carrier will reinstate its Boeing 777 operations to Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Miami, Newark, Orlando and Seattle, from January 21.

The directive comes as telecommunication operators delay the roll-out of 5G networks around US airports, resulting in the US Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing issuing formal notifications that lift previous restriction on aircraft operations.

Emirates services to Los Angeles, New York JFK, and Washington DC, however, remain unaltered. Flights to Boston, Houston and San Francisco, on which the airline had temporarily deployed A380 aircraft on January 20 and 21, will return to Boeing 777 operations on Saturday, January 22.

The airline also deploys Boeing 777 freighter aircraft to Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Columbus and Aguadilla, carrying exports and cargo such as food and life-saving medicines and pharmaceuticals, a statement said.

The announcement to restore flights comes within hours of suspension of passenger operations to nine destinations in the US.

Read: Dubai’s Emirates suspends flights to nine US destinations

Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, said: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers by the temporary suspension of flights to some of our US destinations. Safety will always be our top priority, and we will never gamble on this front. We welcome the latest development which enables us to resume essential transport links to the US to serve travellers and cargo shippers. However, we are also very aware that this is a temporary reprieve, and a long-term resolution would be required. Emirates will continue to work closely with the aircraft manufacturers and relevant regulators to ensure the safety and continuity of our services.”

Also read: US 5G rollout ‘utterly irresponsible’, says Emirates president