Emirates has revealed plans to boost its US network during the summer with the resumption of its route from Dubai to Orlando. The flight comes as the airline targets the recovery of its global network after a tricky 12 months for the industry.

Around the world, airlines are looking to use the summer as a period of recovery, with increasing numbers of countries announcing border restrictions. Some airlines have a lot further to go than others, specifically those in Europe. As a global hub and spoke airline, Emirates is resuming routes and increasing the frequency and capacity of already resumed routes.

Back to Orlando

Today Emirates revealed that it would resume flights to Florida's Orlando this summer. Starting on June 2nd, the airline will be operating four flights each week from Dubai to the world's theme park capital. Flights will depart Dubai on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday to the following schedule,

• EK219 - 08:55 Dubai (DXB) - 16:30 Orlando (MCO) - Boeing 777 - M-W-FS-
• EK220 - 21:00 Orlando (MCO) - 19:10(+1) Dubai (DXB) - Boeing 777 - M-W-FS-

Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.

As such, the airline will need at least two aircraft to operate the route as the Friday departure will arrive back in Dubai after the Saturday flight has left for Orlando. With the route back in action, Emirates will be operating over 60 weekly flights to 11 destinations across the United States. However, which aircraft will Emirates operate?

Ignoring the giant of the skies, Emirates is opting for the Boeing 777 for the route to Orlando. It will schedule the -200LR for the route. However, those wishing to fly in first class won't be catered for on the flight. The aircraft being used for the route has a two-class configuration.

At the front of the aircraft are 38 lie-flat business class seats. Behind this, passengers will find 264 economy class seats. Simple Flying recently reviewed business class on the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER on a trip to Dubai. You can find the full review here.

How is Emirates' recovery going?

Since all of its passenger flights were grounded by the government just over a year ago, Emirates has seen a steady recovery in flights through to mid-December 2020. However, since then, the recovery has started to plateau, according to data from RadarBox.com.

The airline was dealt a significant blow when the UK government banned it from flying passengers to England. Before the pandemic, London was by far the company's biggest market. However, the outlook remains positive for the Summer. The airline has so far planned to operate its Airbus A380 giants on 18 routes from Dubai, with plans to return the entire fleet to flight by the end of the year.

Have you flown with Emirates in the past year? Let us know how you found it in the comments below!