Dubai Civil Authority Saeed Maktoum
Source: Courtesy Dubai Civil Authority
PANAMA CITY WILL BE OUR FIRST DESTINATION GATEWAY IN CENTRAL AMERICA SAID SAEED AL MAKTOUM---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The new service will take off on February 1, 2016 and Emirates says the 17 hour, 35 minute flight when heading west will be the longest anywhere. The flight will be Emirates´ first destination in Central America. Services to Panama City, Panama´s capital and largest city by population, will commence with a daily flight in a three-class layout. Service to Panama City will operate through Tocumen International Airport, PTY.
The aircraft will be able to carry up to 15 tonnes of cargo. Key imports to the country include pharmaceuticals, machinery products, iron/steel rods, and electronics.
“Panama City will be our first destination gateway in Central America, providing a convenient option for our passengers travelling from or through our global hub in Dubai and onward to destinations throughout Central America, the Caribbean and the northern part of South America,“ said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group.
“We´re also pleased to be the only commercial airline to offer a daily, first class service to travellers on what will be the world´s longest non-stop flight.“
Australia´s Qantas currently operates the world´s longest flight, from Dallas to Sydney, which takes just under 17 hours. Singapore Airlines previously operated an even longer flight connecting the city-state to Newark, New Jersey, but scrapped it in 2013.
The Vice President of the Republic of Panama, Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, said: “New doors to the country will open with a direct connection to the Middle East ““ a strong and thriving region with great synergies to both Panama and Latin America.“-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eduardo Fonseca Ward, Consul-General of the Republic of Panama, in Dubai, said: “This new direct flight between Dubai and Panama City will connect Latin America with the Middle East, Asia and Africa. “This link will generate a broader global network with countless commercial and cultural opportunities for the two regions.
Later this year, Emirates will add a further four routes to its global network ““ Mashhad, Iran, Orlando, Florida, Bamako, Mali and Bologna, Italy.
