Emirates has commenced a daily non-stop passenger service to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.
On-board the inaugural flight was a joint VIP delegation from the U.S. and Dubai as well as international media. The inaugural flight carried passengers from more than 20 different countries to Chicago, demonstrating just how Emirates connects people across the globe.
"The Chicago route extends our passenger network to America's third-largest city and complements our existing dedicated freighter service that operates to O'Hare," said Adel Al Redha, Emirates Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. "The launch of this route, will allow us to offer Emirates' unique product and award-winning service to passengers flying to and from the Midwest to our home in Dubai or onwards to more than 140 global destinations including the Far East, Africa and India." "Launching Chicago-Dubai non-stop passenger service is yet another important step in establishing Chicago as one of the top tourism destinations in the world and achieving our goal of hosting 55 million visitors by 2020," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "Increased connectivity with Dubai will expose more international guests to the world-class hospitality, shopping districts, cultural attractions and architectural achievements that make Chicago one of the greatest cities in the world." "Increasing access to other parts of the world creates opportunities for travellers and businesses," Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said. "2013 was a record year for tourism in Illinois, and this new nonstop flight will build on the advances we have made. It will also help Illinois stay competitive in the global economy and give our businesses new opportunities to expand their markets and create jobs." In addition to passenger service, the Chicago-Dubai flight will carry up to 17 tons of cargo per flight and increase trade links between the two cities. Emirates began operating cargo service to Chicago in 2013. Currently, Emirates SkyCargo flies a twice-weekly, dedicated freight service out of O'Hare that carried nearly 12,000 tons of cargo last year.
"This connection will deepen the ties between two of the world's busiest airports in terms of commercial travel, with a combined traffic flow approximately 133 million passengers in 2013," said Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino. "We look forward to building on O'Hare's successful relationship with Emirates and know that many international travellers will take advantage of this new route."