Not Just Non-Stops: Inside Emirates’ One-Stop Routes

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There is something exciting about one-stops. They enable thinner or less demanded destinations to be served while increasing frequency, connectivity, and competitiveness. Emirates has 16 one-stop routes in January, including some intriguing ones.

emirates-increase-brisbane-perth-flights
Emirates uses the A380 on Dubai-Milan-JFK, one of Emirates’ three-daily flights to JFK in January. EK205 leaves Dubai at 09:05, arrives Milan at 13:10, departs at 15:40, and arrives JFK at 19:00. Photo: Emirates.

Emirates’ one-stops in January

Emirates’ 16 one-stops are shown below, with eight involving Asia (party because of the pandemic), four in Africa, and four touch Europe. As you’d expect, almost all are operated by the B777-300ER. Exceptions are the A380 on the once-daily Dubai-Milan-JFK and Saturday-only Guangzhou-Bangkok-Dubai, and the B777-200LR on the five-weekly Dubai-Barcelona-Mexico City.

  1. Dubai-Conakry-Dakar-Dubai
  2. Dubai-Accra-Abidjan and back
  3. Algiers-Tunis-Dubai
  4. Dubai-Lusaka-Harare and back
  5. Dubai-Malé-Colombo and back
  6. Dubai-Kuala Lumpur-Auckland and back
  7. Hanoi-Bangkok-Dubai
  8. Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok-Dubai
  9. Dubai-Bangkok-Hong Kong and back
  10. Dubai-Phuket-Bangkok and back
  11. Guangzhou-Bangkok-Dubai
  12. Dubai-Clark-Cebu-Dubai and back
  13. Dubai-Barcelona-Mexico City and back
  14. Dubai-Athens-Newark and back
  15. Dubai-Milan-JFK and back
  16. Dubai-Larnaca-Malta and back

You’ll see Hanoi-Bangkok-Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok-Dubai, and Guangzhou-Bangkok-Dubai. Intriguingly, while they’re bookable in that direction, the first routing to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, or Guangzhou isn’t bookable to then continue onwards. This could be because of entry restrictions.

Emirates Algiers-Tunis-Dubai
EK757 arrives into Algiers at 14:00. It then leaves at 17:00 at EK758, operating via Tunis. It is not a true triangular routing as Dubai-Algiers-Tunis isn’t bookable. Image: Emirates.

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Not many triangular routings

Unlike other carriers, such as Turkish Airlines and Ethiopian, Emirates doesn’t have many triangular routings in January, similar to Qatar Airways. Unlike termination services with four sectors, triangular routings involve three, just as you’d expect.

For example, Emirates routes Dubai to Conakry and onto Dakar and back to the UAE, and Dubai to Clark and onto Cebu and then back to Dubai. In the case of the Philippine routing, EK338 leaves Dubai at 02:45, arrives Clark at 15:00, departs at 16:35, arrives Cebu at 80 minutes later, leaves at 19:25, and arrives home nearly one day later at 01:10.

Emirates Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EQN
Triangular routings typically involve cities close enough to not require much backtracking. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

Mainly termination services

Most of Emirates’ one-stops are termination services, such as Dubai to Malé and onto Colombo, returning the same way. This suggests they make sense economically and competitively, at least versus not being served by Emirates itself. However, termination services increase ground time and costs as another sector is operated. Likely reasons for them are:

  • Simply because they cannot operate a triangular routing
  • Logic (saving fuel and time from avoiding too much backtracking)
  • Targeting higher levels of premium or overall demand, so wanting to serve them better
  • To help ensure aircraft arrive in Dubai at the right time to maximize connections to the right destinations
  • To benefit from fifth-freedom traffic rights in both directions (many of its international one-stop services, including the Malé-Colombo-Malé example, can be purchased on a standalone basis)

What one-stops have you been on, whether with Emirates or another carrier? The author’s best memory is probably SriLankan from Heathrow to Colombo via Malé aboard the A340-300. 



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