Emirates First Direct Flight from Athens to New York Takes Off

The Emirates B777-300ER landing at Athens International Airport at 14:25 local time on Sunday, March 12.

Emirates‘ much-awaited first direct flight to New York from Athens took off from Athens International Airport (AIA) on Sunday afternoon.

Flight EK209 was given a water salute by AIA once it arrived from Dubai, before continuing its journey to Newark Liberty International Airport. The new Dubai-Athens-Newark route is served by Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

“This new route will connect America’s largest metropolitan area and Dubai through one of Europe’s great capitals,” said Hubert Frach, Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations of Emirates West, during a special ceremony at AIA.

Emirates’ new Dubai-Athens-Newark flight will provide a year-round non-stop daily service between the US and Greece – a service that has not existed since 2012.

Emirates’ flight EK209 receiving a water salute by AIA upon arrival from Dubai.

According to Frach, the launch of a connection that has been neglected for years by other airlines is expected to generate consistently high demand and enhance business, culture and leisure connections on both sides of the Atlantic.

Emirates flight EK209 will depart Dubai at 10:50 local time, arriving in Athens at 14:25 before departing again at 16:40 and arriving into Newark at 22:00 on the same day. The return flight EK210 will depart Newark at 23:45 local time, arriving in Athens the next day at 15:05. EK210 will depart once again from Athens at 17:10 bound for Dubai where it will arrive at 23:50.

“Emirates’ direct, year-round operations on the Athens-New York route is a spectacular development for the Athens’ market, enhancing its connectivity and presenting the traveling public with new travel options on Emirates’ excellent product,” AIA’s CEO, Yiannis Paraschis, said.

“Athens’ strong traffic volumes to/from the US, underpinned by the vibrant Greek-American community, signify the potential and the success of the route,” he added.

Reema Al Marzooqi, Emirates Area Manager Greece & Albania; Yiannis Paraschis, Athens International Airport CEO; Evridiki Kourneta, Tourism Ministry Secretary General; Hubert Frach, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President Commercial Operations West; and Tierry Aucoc, Emirates SVP Commercial Operations Europe & Russian Federation.

On her part, the secretary general of the Greek Tourism Ministry, Evridiki Kourneta, referred to the considerable growth potential of arrivals to Greece through the year-round non-stop daily service from the US and the United Arab Emirates, two very important markets for Greece.

Greece’s Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura negotiated and supported the introduction of the direct year-round Athens-New York service as part of the national tourism policy that aims at the opening of new foreign markets, extending the tourism season and enhancing connectivity between Greece and abroad.

Newark becomes Emirates’ 12th U.S. gateway, and is the second serving the greater Tri-State Area, complementing Emirates’ existing four daily flights from Dubai and John F. Kennedy International Airport. Passengers embarking from Newark and Dubai will have the option to disembark in Athens or continue to their final destinations.

In addition to serving the large Greek-American population in the New York City metropolitan area, the availability of one-stop same-plane service to Dubai will offer a convenient alternative to travellers headed towards the Middle East, West Asia, and Africa.