Emirates will serve Dallas/Fort Worth daily with a Boeing 777 aircraft offering the highest standards of passenger comfort, including private suites in First Class, lie-flat beds in Business Class and generously-sized Economy Class seats.

EK221 leaves Dubai daily at 0245hrs, arriving at Dallas/Fort Worth at 0905hrs.

The return sector, EK 222, leaves Dallas/Fort Worth at 1150hrs, arriving at Dubai International Airport at 1220hrs the following day.

“The UAE is the single largest export market for American goods in the Middle East and trade continues to grow sharply, up more than 20 percent in 2011 compared to the previous 12 months,” said Yousef Al-Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the US.

“The US is on target to surpass its pre-downturn 2008 record of $14.4 billion in total exports to the UAE and this new Emirates route will spur hundreds of millions more in local economic activity,” added Al-Otaiba.

“Emirates’ newest US destination is a thriving and dynamic metroplex, which is home to one of the highest concentrations of Fortune 500 companies in the country,” said Nigel Page, senior vice president, commercial operations, The Americas.

Jeffrey P. Fegan, CEO of DFW International Airport, added: “The new Emirates daily service to Dubai is a monumental development for DFW Airport, because it opens up a key region of the world for the citizens of Dallas/Fort Worth.”

On board the inaugural flight from Dubai were Nigel Page, Emirates’ senior vice president, commercial operations, The Americas, Ali bin Salem Al-Mahmoud, chairman of the Sharjah Economics Department, and John Podgore, president, American Business Council.

Upon landing, the Emirates delegation was met by more than 100 business leaders from the Dallas/Fort Worth region.

Dallas/Fort Worth becomes Emirates’ 121st global destination.