Emirates Announces Route to Bogotá With Stopover in Miami

Emirates will enter the Colombian market by offering a flight from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogotá starting in June. The route will strengthen the relationship between Colombia and the Arab world. The proposed flight would include the operation of a Boeing 777-200LR and 777-300ER aircraft, with a designated stopover in Miami (MIA) as part of the route. All passengers must complete U.S. Customs and Immigration in Miami as part of the proposed route.

[DXB, MIA],[MIA,BOG]

Colombia's civil air regulation service Aeronáutica Civil received and approved Emirates' request in February 2024. According to Colombia's Minister of Transport, William Camargo Triana, the new route can open and expand trade, tourism, and investment between the country and the Middle East. The operation will be Emirates' fourth route to South America, after services to Buenos Aires (EZE), Rio de Janeiro (GIG), and São Paulo (GRU).

However, not all Colombian air enthusiasts are as eager as others to expand Emirates into Bogotá. The country's largest carrier, Avianca S.A, critiqued the decision to expand into Colombia as "exploiting a mature market." Although Dubai has invited Avianca to create a route to the Middle East, none currently exists. Before the new route, Turkish Airlines was the only other Middle East-based carrier to operate out of Colombia.

The entrance of Emirates into the Colombian market opens an exciting new chapter between Colombia and the UAE. According to the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombia opened diplomatic representation with the UAE in August 2011, citing a collaborative effort in growing infrastructure development, agriculture, and mining. 

Although the expansion of the flights is predominantly for tourism, each flight can accommodate an estimated 14 tons of cargo. Tourism graphics show that tourism from the Americas represents roughly 7 percent of the UAE's total tourism, and this route means visitor numbers will grow.