Dubai’s Emirates launched passenger flights to Miami International Airport last year, and is already matching the passenger count of Qatar Airways.
According to statistics newly released by the airport, a total of 15,904 passengers flew to or from MIA on Emirates in July. Qatar Airways carried 16,396 passengers in the same period.
Emirates actually surpassed Qatar by arriving passenger count for the month, with 9,091 arrivals at MIA, compared to Qatar’s 8,749.
Emirates also carried significantly more cargo to MIA than Qatar in July, measured by weight.
July was the first month that Emirates served MIA daily.
Emirates first launched passenger service to MIA in July 2021. Until June, flights operated either five or three times weekly (Emirates is reducing service again to five weekly in September, before resuming daily service in October).
Qatar launched service to MIA in 2014, giving it a seven year head start on Emirates at the airport.
Emirates flies a Boeing 77W daily to MIA, while Qatar also operates daily with an Airbus A359.
An Emirates 77W being moved from its parked position next to the South Terminal at MIA in July:
It’s great that so many airlines are investing in Miami. Keep it up!
The customer services offered by such airlines are exceptional. Nasty Delta and American Airlines need to take a lesson on customer services from such airlines.
Spirit makes Delta and AA look like Air Force One.
I agree. Sadly, it bites their bottom line and therefore won’t happen. .
Qatar is adding a second daily frequency this fall during the WC
Who are all those passengers? You don’t really see a lot of middle easterners or rich sheiks walking around Miami.
85% of Dubai’s population isn’t Middle Eastern
So I guess that’s why people aspire for Miami to more like Dubai. 85 percent not American, yet crappy architecture. B-but, muh sewers!
There are many Americans that live in Miami, and I bet most of the people on the flights are Miamians returning from the World Cup and UAE businessmen that you don’t see in the streets.
I once met a woman flying from Suriname to her home in South Africa flying on American to Miami and Qatar Airways through Doha to get home.
Did you get her suriname and number?
The World Cup has not started yet
Both Emirates and Qatar do a big business using connections at their Middle East hubs. I took Qatar to Johannesburg in 2019 through Doha, for example.
Both airlines have wonderful onward connections to India, Pakistan, Saudi, Thailand, the Maldives, Africa, and other nearby destinations.
“You don’t really see a lot of middle easterners or rich sheiks walking around Miami”
Um, if you were one of them, would you rather walk around somewhere like Miami Beach in SHEIK clothing or wear something to blend in with the crowd?
I’d like to see that on a Saturday morning, in Aventura.
Both airlines have big route networks, so a majority of the passengers are connecting through Dubai or Doha on these flights. These flights are also really convenient for South Asians living in South Florida to travel back home. I’ve taken the Qatar flight a couple of times from MIA this year and there were South Florida locals traveling beyond DXB and DOH, as well as a lot of passengers connecting from Latin America on American Airlines (since they both belong to the Oneworld alliance).
avions por los “chugar papis…”
Qatar is bringing twice-daily flights for the World Cup!
Glad to see this world class airline doing well at MIA.
That’s not true. Flights are completely empty….
It’s also important to note that Emirates operates a bigger plane to MIA than Qatar. Qatar Airways uses it’s A350-900 (sometimes its A350-1000), while Emirates uses its 777-300ER (one of its smallest planes). The 773 has more seats than the A359 and A35K. Therefore, Emirates has more seats to offer on each flight and has more capacity for cargo on its plane (which is in high demand right now). However, the 777 costs more to operate (due to its size, and because the A350 is more fuel efficient), and since Emirates and Qatar have similar passenger numbers, Qatar is likely making more money on this route.
Also, I’ve flown Qatar’s flight from MIA before and there is a large number of Miami locals and passengers from South America connecting from American Airlines onto Qatar and then other destinations throughout the world in Doha.
I’m so happy for Miami we really deserve it. but these prices OMG. I have been connecting all over the place impossible to fly direct on business or first class. Only Turkish had reasonable business class seats and since it’s the only gateway in and out of Russia thats gone too. MIA is HOT!