Italian destinations
Emirates Airlines is among the largest carriers worldwide, featuring an impressive widebody fleet (accounting for over 250 aircraft) operating an extensive network comprising 137 destinations. In particular, from a revenue perspective, the Italian market is the second most profitable in Europe (behind the British market), thus there is no wonder why Emirates flights multiple daily flights to four different cities (Bologna, Milan, Rome and Venice). Besides, since 2015 Milan featured a daily service to New York JFK operated by Emirates A380 in fifth freedom.
In the air transport industry, the fifth freedom rights allow an extra-community airline to fly in a foreign country and load passengers to a third country. In the case of Emirates, the carrier is allowed to fly from Dubai to Milan and then to New York JFK carrying both passengers originating from Dubai and those who boarded in Milan.
Potential new route in Fifth Freedom from Milan
In 2015 Emirates obtained the fifth freedom rights to operate an additional route from Milan up to 4 times a week (to the existing service to New York JFK). Unfortunately, the Arab carrier decided to discontinue the expansion project from Milan to avoid potential disputes arising by Alitalia (Italy’s past flag carrier which was struggling financially at that time) and to achieve the confirmation of the existing traffic rights between Milan and New York JFK by the Italian air transport department.
Nevertheless, following the acquisition of Ita Airways (the successor of Alitalia) pursued by Lufthansa and approved by the European Anti-thrust in 2024, the 2025 scenario is likely to be ripe for Emirates to resume their market analyses regarding the launch of new services from Milan.
This article assesses several uncovered and covered destinations from Milan that would support Emirates’ growth in the Italian market (the traffic data shown below are taken from IATA_2019).
Unserved destinations from Milan
Miami (USA):
Annual passenger flows account for 160.344, resulting: in 3.083 weekly passengers (data not accounting for peak periods). Until 2020 the MXP-MIA route featured two daily services operated by Air Italy with an Airbus A330 (252 seats) and American Airlines with a Boeing 777 (273 seats), providing 3.675 weekly seats.
If Emirates launched this route (4 times a week), they could operate a Boeing 777-300ER (8 in first-class, 42 in business and 310 in economy) which would offer 1.440 seats weekly.
Los Angeles (USA):
Annual passenger flows account for 131.183, resulting: in 2.522 weekly passengers (data not accounting for peak periods). Until 2019 the MXP-LAX service was operated by Air Italy with Airbus A330 (24 business class seats and 228 in economy) four times a week, providing 1.008 weekly seats.
If Emirates launched this route (4 times a week), they could operate either an Airbus A350 (32 seats in business, 21 in premium and 259 in economy class) or a Boeing 777 (8 in first-class, 42 in business and 310 in economy) which would offer between 1.248 and 1.440 seats weekly.
Lima (Peru):
Annual passenger flows account for 82.228, resulting: in 1.581 weekly passengers (data not accounting for peak periods). Currently, there is no direct flight between Italy and Peru, if Emirates decided to launch the service between Milan and Lima would need the approval of both Peruvian and Italian governments and request a review of the bilateral agreements in place between the two countries. Thus it is unlikely that the Dubai-based carrier would choose to launch this flight, nevertheless operating either an Airbus A350 (312 seats) or a Boeing 777 (360 seats) would account for 1.248 and 1.440 seats weekly which are fewer than the existing traffic between Milan and Lima. Besides, the passengers originating from Dubai should be taken into consideration as well which would increase the demand.
Already served destinations
Sao Paolo (Brazil):
Annual passenger flows account for 150.459, resulting: in 2.893 weekly passengers (data not accounting for peak periods). As of 2024, Latam Brazil operates six flights a week with a Boeing 777 (410 seats), providing 2.460 weekly seats.
If Emirates launched this route (4 times a week), they could operate either an Airbus A350 (312 seats) or a Boeing 777 (360 seats) which would offer between 1.248 and 1.440 seats weekly. Emirates already operates daily flights between Sao Paulo and Dubai, with the launch of an additional flight from Dubai via Milan the carrier could boost its market offering and gain passengers travelling between Italy and Brazil as well.
Bottom line
As emerges from the topics discussed in this article there is a strong market for the introduction of new fifth-freedoom flights as they would combine existing traffic (from Dubai in the case assessed) with new destinations which highlights demand for the introduction of direct services from Milan.
The main obstacle dwells in politics which may interfere with the development of a liberalized market to favour domestic enterprises (such as Ita Airways), which are no longer state-owned at 100%.
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