Emirates has received approval to operate flights between Barcelona (BCN) and Mexico City (MEX), marking the carrier’s first service to the Mexican capital.
This new link will also make Emirates the first Gulf carrier to serve Mexico, giving it a strategic advantage in the transatlantic market. The planned routing will operate from Dubai (DXB) to Barcelona and onward to Mexico City. Emirates holds fifth freedom traffic rights on this sector, allowing it to transport passengers between Barcelona and Mexico City as well as between Dubai and Barcelona.
The airline aims to launch the route as soon as feasible, ideally before the end of the year, and expects to offer roughly 95,000 seats annually in each direction between Barcelona and Mexico City.
Two years ago Emirates attempted to establish a Dubai–Mexico City service via Zürich (ZRH), but the proposal was not approved by Swiss authorities. A direct Dubai–Mexico City service is also operationally challenging because Mexico City’s airport elevation affects aircraft take-off performance and range, requiring an intermediate stop for refueling or payload adjustments.