Emirates is resuming services to Los Angeles and Boston starting from today and August 15th, respectively. The routes take Emirates’ total US destinations to four, as it slowly expands its route map months after it had to suspend operations. The airline will also continue to require COVID-19 tests for some US passengers, including flying from Los Angeles.

Slow and steady

This latest announcement of US routes will take Emirates’ total destinations to 58 by mid-August, an impressive schedule for any airline right now. While this might be a far cry from the airline’s previous route map, it does show an impressive recovery from being virtually grounded just two months ago.

As for the latest Boston and Los Angeles routes, the airline is taking it slow. The LA route will see two flights a week from today, going up to four flights a week from August 2nd. The Boston route will resume four times a week on August 15th. Emirates previously flew daily services to both cities, and even multiple times to Los Angeles.

The airline has resumed flights to New York and Washington D.C. last month, as demand for international travel picks up. Dubai also recently opened its door to tourism, with hopes that people want to travel after months on the ground.

Health concerns remain

While Emirates is looking to add more destinations, the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the world. With health being the top concern, Emirates has made it mandatory for travelers from a number of countries to carry COVID-19 negative tests before travel. The US is included in this list, with travelers from Texas, California, and Florida all needing negative tests.

Emirates famously was the first airline offering rapid antibody tests to all passengers before boarding. It later withdrew the tests over concerns over their accuracy, with only 30% of tests giving an accurate result. However, after countries complained about the airline carrying too many COVID-19 positive passengers, including those with symptoms, Emirates mandated tests once again.

Long recovery ahead

Emirates’ President, Sir Tim Clark has said that it could be 2024 before the airline sees its 2019 numbers return. This gloomy outlook has been reflected in the airline’s recent discussion to lay off 15% of its workforce, including a large number of pilots and cabin crews.

However, the airline is continuing on the path to recovery. Earlier this month, Emirates’ A380 was brought back into service, renewing hopes about the superjumbo’s future. While only two are currently back in service, the airline expects this number will steadily grow until all 115 are back in the sky by 2022.

For now, Emirates will likely continue adding new routes to its network as the world adjusts to the “new normal” of travel. However, it is possible that the carrier reaches a plateau and is forced to remain there until something, such as a vaccine, jumpstarts travel once again.

What do you think about Emirates’ near future? Can the airline continue adding new destinations? Let us know in the comments below