Summary
- Emirates will operate two flights from Dubai to New York on July 4th, 2024, totaling 6,664,077 ASMs.
- Air France will fly four direct flights from Paris to Los Angeles, with 6,690,600 ASMs on Independence Day.
- Virgin Atlantic has 7,093,860 ASMs between London and New York on July 4th, taking second place on the list.
Independence Day falls in the middle of the peak summer travel season, and is a popular time for arrivals into the US, whether that is visitors or those returning home. Using data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, which five US-bound international airlines and routes will have the most available seat miles (ASMs) available on July 4th, 2024?
Photo: Emirates
But first, what are ASMs? ASMs are calculated by multiplying the number of miles an aircraft flies by the number of seats on the aircraft. They are often used as a measure of capacity within the aviation industry and offer a different perspective on an airline’s activity compared to looking solely at the number of flights.
5
Dubai (DXB) – New York (JFK)
Emirates (6,664,077 ASMs)
From its hub at Dubai International Airport (DXB), Emirates will operate two flights to New York JFK on July 4th, 2024. Both flights are operated by the Airbus A380, with an average of 486.5 seats per departure. Multiplying the seats flown by the route length (6,849 miles of 11,022 km) gives a total of 6,664,077 ASMs, putting the route in fifth place.
The Airbus A380 is integral to Emirates’ fleet, and with data from ch-aviation showing a total of 119 A380s currently in its fleet, the carrier is by far the type’s largest operator. Emirates does not currently face any direct competition on its services to New York JFK, but it does when it comes to the New York City area’s other major international airport, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), in the form of United Airlines.
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4
Paris (CDG) – Los Angeles (LAX)
Air France (6,690,600 ASMs)
On July 4th, 2024, Air France will operate four direct flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The French flag carrier will deploy its Boeing 777s on three of the flights, with the evening service (19:25 departure from CDG) operated by the Airbus A350-900. The route spans a total distance of 5,670 miles (9,024 km).
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
In terms of competition, Air France will go head-to-head with fellow SkyTeam member Delta Air Lines, which will operate one flight with the Airbus A330-900, and the low-cost carrier Norse Atlantic Airways, which will also fly one flight with the Boeing 787-9. Although not on July 4th, Air France also faces competition on the route from Air Tahiti Nui, which uses Los Angeles as a stopover point on selected services from between Paris (CDG) and Papeete (PPT).
3
London (LHR) – New York (JFK)
British Airways (6,883,288 ASMs)
As the busiest transatlantic route in terms of number of flights, it was almost a foregone conclusion that London to New York JFK would feature somewhere in this list. In fact, it features twice (see below). On July 4th, 2024, the UK flag carrier, British Airways, will fly eight times between its home base at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and New York (JFK), covering a distance of 3,452 miles (5,555 km).
Photo: IanC66 | Shutterstock
Being such a high-yielding route, British Airways often deploys its most premium-heavy Boeing 777s to New York JFK, giving the service a relatively low average of just 249.3 seats per departure. The carrier faces plenty of competition on the route, with the following airlines also offering direct services:
- Virgin Atlantic
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- JetBlue.
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2
London (LHR) – New York (JFK)
Virgin Atlantic (7,093,860 ASMs)
Taking second place is the UK’s other major long-haul carrier, Virgin Atlantic, with a total of 7,093,860 ASMs between London Heathrow and New York JFK on July 4th, 2024. Although Virgin Atlantic will operate seven flights on that day, compared to British Airways’ eight flights, the carrier’s higher average number of seats per departure (293.6 vs 249.3 with British Airways) means that it has more ASMs.
Photo: Bradley Caslin | Shutterstock
Virgin Atlantic deploys a mix of Airbus A330-900s and A350-1000s on the route, giving the airline an average of 293.6 seats per departure. The carrier’s A330-900s seat a total of 262 passengers, while its premium-heavy A350s can carry up to 335 passengers (Virgin Atlantic also operates a handful of A350s in a more economy-heavy leisure configuration, totaling 397 seats, although it does not tend to use these aircraft on its New York JFK route).
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1
Hong Kong (HKG) – New York (JFK)
Cathay Pacific (7,327,560 ASMs)
With only three flights, this ultra-long-haul route comes out top of the list thanks to its distance of 8,070 miles (12,987 km). On July 4th, 2024, Cathay Pacific will operate two flights with the A350 and one with the 777-300ER, giving the airline an average of 302.7 seats per departure.
Photo: Hafit Irawan | Shutterstock
Cathay Pacific is currently the only airline to operate direct services between Hong Kong and New York JFK, although a number of one-stop options are available via other Asian, European, or North American hubs. As one of the largest international gateways to the US, it is perhaps unsurprising that New York John F. Kennedy International Airport features so heavily in the list.
Will you be flying to the US on Independence Day this year? If so, which airline and route will you be traveling on? Let us know by commenting below.