Emirates upgrades Washington DC route to A380 service

Monday, 12 Jan, 2016 0

Just days after United Airlines is due to scrap its Washington DC to Dubai route, gulf carrier Emirates is adding capacity.

Emirates will upgrade to a A380 service on the route from February 1, replacing the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft it currently deploys.

United ends its Dubai service on January 25.

"Our service to Washington D.C. has been one of our most successful and profitable routes, with high demand across all cabin classes. Despite strong seat load factors, United has made the decision to withdraw from the route," said Emirates president Tim Clark.

"The additional seats offered by our A380 will therefore restore capacity on the route, and ensure that American consumers and international travellers wishing to visit D.C. for business or leisure will continue to be served."

US airlines accuse Gulf carriers of benefitting from unfair government subsidies and dumping capacity in US markets, a claim Emirates, Qatar Air and Etihad Airways deny.

"As they’ve added subsidised capacity, our Washington-Dubai route has become less profitable," United said last month when it announced it was ending its DC-Dubai route.

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