LGBTQ Managing Director Richard Gray for the Greater Fort Lauderdale tourism board said today: “I love my job!” He said this when attending a 6 Star Gala dinner compliments of Emirates Airline to celebrate their new air service non-stop from Dubai to Fort Lauderdale. For this UAE based airline, it’s the 11th gateway destination to the United States
It’s a daily nonstop passenger service between Dubai and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport today. A VIP delegation and a contingent of international media were aboard the inaugural flight, which carried passengers from North America, the Far East, the Middle East, South Asia, the Asian subcontinent and Africa.
Fort Lauderdale is Emirates’ second destination in Florida, after launching Orlando more than a year ago. The new service, operated by a GE-powered Boeing 777, marks the first scheduled commercial service from the Middle East to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport serving the South Florida area of Fort Lauderdale, Miami and West Palm Beach.
“Our new daily service to Fort Lauderdale will significantly enhance South Florida’s commercial and cultural connections. Emirates is proud to connect people across the globe and today’s inaugural flight illustrates the reach of our global network and the potential tourism and trade opportunities of our daily service,” said Hubert Frach, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, West. “The launch of this historic route will allow us to offer Emirates’ unique product and award-winning service to passengers flying to and from South Florida to our home in Dubai and onwards to more than 150 global destinations.”
“FLL is proud to welcome Emirates, one of the world’s premiere airlines to Broward County. This new service to Dubai, and ultimately to the rest of the world, will provide our community with tremendous business and travel opportunities. With an estimated annual economic impact to our region of more than $100 million and approximately one thousand new jobs as a direct and indirect result of Emirates arrival, we are confident this new service will mark the beginning of many more great things to come”, said Mark Gale, CEO/Director of Aviation.
“The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in the United States, servicing more than 29 million passengers this year. We are proud to partner with Emirates Airline as together we make history by offering the first non-stop flight service from South Florida to the Middle East and beyond. Broward County is a leading destination market for tourists and an economic hub for businesses large and small. We have recently invested $2.4 billion to expand and renovate our airport to ensure world class service now and in the future,” said Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief.
The new service will operate as flight EK213, departing from Dubai International Airport at 3:30 a.m. local time and arriving at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) at 10:55 a.m. The return flight, EK214, will depart FLL at 8:20 p.m, and arrive in Dubai at 7:40 p.m the next day, with a flying time of 14 hours and 20 minutes. The route will be operated by a GE-powered US-built Boeing 777-200LR aircraft in a three-class configuration offering 8 First Class suites, 42 Business Class lie-flat beds and 216 Economy Class seats for travellers, and up to 15 tonnes of bellyhold cargo for shippers.
Passengers wishing to travel beyond the Fort Lauderdale-Miami area to onward destinations can take advantage of Emirates’ partnership with JetBlue Airways (B6) that offers connection options to 32 destinations in the U.S. and connection to destinations in Bahamas, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, and Peru
Fort Lauderdale is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States thanks to its abundant sunshine and temperate weather.
Fort Lauderdale is also known to welcome a diverse tourism target and is one the favorite destination for LGBT travelers.
Fort Lauderdale is also a popular destination for the cruise industry with Broward County’s Port Everglades one of the top 3 busiest cruise ports in the world with more than 4 million annual visitors.
The South Florida region is a popular destination for the cruise industry with Broward County’s Port Everglades one of the top 3 busiest cruise ports in the world with more than 4 million annual visitors.
Emirates’ new route will also serve the South Florida area, including Miami and West Palm Beach. Just a 30 minute drive away, Miami is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the US and its metropolitan area is the eighth-largest in the US with a population of 5.5 million people. Hispanics and Latinos comprise more than 70 percent of the city’s population, and have created a cultural fabric that is unique to Miami. Miami is also one of America’s cultural meccas, famous for its exclusive take on nightlife, art, music, architecture and cuisine.
