Emirates Airline has launched non-stop services between Dubai and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, its 2nd gateway into the U.S. The new route will offer travellers a fast link between Texas and the UAE with a 15 hour flight from Houston to Dubai and a return of approximately 17 hours. The route follows on the success of Emirates’ first destination in the United States, New York which has been operating since 2004 and grown to become a three-flights-a-day service. The Houston service will operate three times a week, increasing to daily on 1st February 2008. The new Boeing 777-200LR, which Emirates is using on the route, features eight private suites in First Class, 42 of the airline’s latest lie-flat seats in Business and generous space for 216 in Economy. Additionally, the aircraft offers shippers up to 12 tonnes of cargo capacity. “Emirates has looked forward to bringing business and tourism traffic to America’s south and southwest and specifically to Houston and the state of Texas. With the growing demand, particularly from discerning business travellers, we are confident that the new service will prove to be very popular and we look forward to serving the region with our growing fleet,” said Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum.