By Joey Gerardi
Air Europa Adds 787 Flights from NYC to the Caribbean
Milan to New York City on Emirates, Los Angeles to Paris on Air Tahiti Nui, and New York City to Frankfurt on Singapore Airlines all have one thing in common: they are what we call “Fifth Freedom Flights.”
These flights operate all around the planet and are flights where neither the origin nor destination is in the carrier’s home country, and they have the right to sell seats to people specifically on that flight, but the originating flight starts in their home country. For example, with Emirates, the plane originates in Dubai and flies to Milan and then continues onto New York City.
An Air Europa Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. (Photo: Alan Wilson [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
Well, another flight is being added to the list of fifth freedom routes, JFK to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Looking at the airline’s website and booking platform, it looks like the aircraft originates in Madrid and flies to New York before continuing to Santo Domingo. Once in the Dominican Republic, it turns right around and does the same thing in reverse. Flights between the two destinations will be operated twice a week: Tuesdays and Sundays. The flights between New York and the Dominican Republic on Air Europa will be operated twice a week: Tuesdays and Sundays.
What is perhaps the most interesting aspect of this route is that it will be operated by a widebody Boeing 787, unlike the many other flights between the two cities on other airlines. Air Europa isn’t adding any new destinations either as it already serves both JFK and Santo Domingo from Madrid.
Flights are scheduled to begin on July 18, 2023, and are subject to change. All data and flight schedules were obtained from the airline’s website.
Joe has always been interested in planes, for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Central New York during the early 2000s when US Airways Express turboprops ruled the skies. Being from a non-aviation family made it harder for him to be around planes and would only spend about three hours a month at the airport. He was so excited when he could drive by himself and the first thing he did with the license was get ice cream and go plane spotting for the entire day. When he has the time (and money) he likes to take spotting trips to any location worth a visit. He’s currently enrolled at Western Michigan University earning a degree in Aviation Management and Operations.