Emirates (EK, Dubai International) is again evaluating options for a direct service from Dubai International to Panamá City Tocumen International, as well as flights to México City International as the carrier sees untapped market potential in Latin America, Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori has told reporters according to Reuters.
The carrier shelved the plans to serve the ultra-long-haul route to Panama in 2016 as it failed to sign code-share agreements with Copa Airlines (CM, Panamá City Tocumen International) which would have improved the service's economics. If launched, it would become one of world's longest non-stop routes at 7,463 nautical miles.
Currently, Emirates' longest non-stop service is to Auckland International at 7,668 nautical miles, which is operated with A380-800 equipment. It also operates to Christchurch and will soon launch services to Santiago de Chile, which both are further away, but these flights are or will be operated via Sydney Kingsford Smith and São Paulo Guarulhos respectively.
The service to Panama could technically be operated with current generation aircraft. Non-stop flights to Mexico, which is the most populous country currently not served by Emirates, would be more challenging due to the high altitude of Mexico City's airport.
Emirates is evaluating different options for this service, including fifth-freedom flights via an intermediary stop. However, new generation B777-8s should be able to operate this route non-stop, Antinori has added. Emirates is the launch customer for the Boeing 777X Family and has thirty-five B777-8s and 115 B777-9s on order with the manufacturer. The deliveries of the latter type are scheduled to commence at the end of 2019.
Regional rival Qatar Airways operates the service to Auckland from Doha Hamad International (7,848 nautical miles) using B777-200(LR) equipment, while Qantas serves the 7,829-nautical-mile route from Perth International to London Heathrow with B787-9 aircraft.
Currently, the longest non-stop route out of Panama is the service to Istanbul Atatürk (5,857 nautical miles) operated by Turkish Airlines with A330-200 equipment.
