Emirates, Air Transat and Alaska Airlines plan to add new routes from, to and within the Americas region over the coming months.
Dubai-Miami-Bogotá
Emirates is set to broaden its presence in South America with the addition of Bogotá as its fourth gateway, complementing existing services to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.
Commencing operations on June 3, the new route will link Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG), operating with a stop at Miami International Airport (MIA). The airline plans to offer daily flights utilizing Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration, accommodating up to 354 passengers, along with a cargo capacity of 14 tons on each flight.
Although Emirates previously provided cargo services to Bogotá via Mexico City Juarez International Airport in 2019, the city has been absent from its passenger network until now.
The flights to Bogotá, South America’s second-largest city by population, will help cater to growing demand for air travel between Colombia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as between Colombia and numerous destinations on Emirates’ network beyond Dubai which are not served directly from Bogotá.
Emirates selected Miami as a stopover point as it is not possible to operate a nonstop flight from Dubai due to the high altitude of Colombia’s capital. On the Miami-Bogotá sector, the airline will compete with American Airlines, Avianca and LATAM Airlines Group, which currently offer 3X-daily, 4X-daily and 2X-daily flights, respectively. The route has approximately 21,400 two-way weekly passenger seats, with Avianca holding the majority share at 51% of the capacity.
Passengers on flights in both directions between Dubai and Bogotá should meet entry regulations for the U.S. and hold the required documents, due to immigration procedures in Miami. Colombian and UAE citizens have visa-free entry for up to 90 days in Dubai and Bogotá, respectively, thanks to reciprocal visa arrangements in place between both countries.
Montreal-Marrakesh
Air Transat is set to launch year-round flights to Morocco this summer, marking the Canadian airline's entry into the African continent.
The carrier plans to open a nonstop route connecting Montréal with Marrakesh, targeting inbound VFR traffic as well as outbound leisure passengers. According to Canada’s 2021 census, about 81,000 Canadians who claimed full or partial Moroccan ancestry live in Quebec, and nearly half of that population is in Montréal.
Flights linking Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Marrakesh Menara Airport (RAK) will start on June 14, operating twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays through Oct. 24 using Airbus A321LR aircraft. The 3,574-mi. (3,106-nm) route will continue during the winter months with one roundtrip per week on Saturdays until April 20, 2025.
More News And Analysis From Routes Americas 2024
O&D traffic between Canada and Morocco totaled almost 200,000 two-way passengers in 2022, according to Sabre Market Intelligence figures, compared with 312,000 in 2019 before the pandemic. Montréal-Casablanca was the largest city pair last year, accounting for about 68% of total traffic between the two countries.
Air Transat will become the sole North American carrier to fly to Marrakesh once the route begins and the third airline to provide scheduled service between North America and Morocco. Data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows that Air Canada flies from YUL to Casablanca’s Mohammed V International Airport (CMN), while Royal Air Maroc offers service from CMN to Miami, Montréal, New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Washington Dulles.
However, United Airlines will commence a Newark-Marrakesh service on Oct. 24, with three flights per week using 767-300ER aircraft. The route will become the second between the New York area and Morocco, alongside Royal Air Maroc’s daily service to JFK from Casablanca, and Marrakesh’s only nonstop service to the U.S.
Seattle-Toronto
Alaska Airlines is launching a new route to Toronto in May, marking the airline's inaugural flights to the Canadian city from its Seattle hub.
Daily operations between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) will start on May 16 using Boeing 737-900 aircraft. Toronto will become the sixth city in Canada served by the Oneworld alliance member in addition to Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria.
According to data from the U.S. Transportation Department, the last time Alaska Airlines served Toronto was in July 1992, operating from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). However, the Canadian gateway has been absent from the airline's network since then.
The decision to launch this new route follows Alaska Airlines' partnership with Toronto-based Porter Airlines in December. This collaboration includes an interline agreement and reciprocal benefits for loyalty programs.
Porter in January also launched new routes from YYZ to two Alaska Airlines hubs—LAX and San Francisco. Through Alaska connections, passengers can access 18 western U.S. markets, including Portland, San Diego, Seattle and Phoenix.
Alaska Airlines will become the second carrier offering nonstop service on the Seattle-Toronto route, joining Air Canada. According to OAG data, the Star Alliance member currently operates daily flights between YYZ and SEA using Airbus A220-300 aircraft. O&D traffic between Seattle and Toronto was about 119,000 two-way passengers in 2023, Sabre Market Intelligence data shows, down by around 4% on 2019 levels.
Related Content
