The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) welcomed the return of Emirates today with the arrival of their first nonstop flight from Dubai in 11 months. The largest airline in the Middle East plans to operate four nonstop flights per week, using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Emirates suspended operations at SFO on March 29, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are thrilled to welcome the return of Emirates to SFO,” said Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. “We view this as a sign of confidence in our airport, the continued economic potential of our region, and the ongoing recovery of air travel around the world. Traffic demand from SFO to the Middle East and India is among the strongest of any segment, and Emirates is well-positioned to benefit from this trend.”
Emirates launched service between SFO and Dubai in 2008 and served as the location for the West Coast debut of the airline’s Airbus A380 aircraft that same year. In 2009, Emirates expanded their operations to daily nonstop flights, continuing this level of service until the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emirates will operate flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at SFO. The inbound flight from Dubai will arrive at 12:45 pm Pacific and depart at 3:40 pm Pacific.