Emirates vents anger at Aussie media claims

4 October 2009

Emirates responded to the Herald-Sun editorial with the following strongly worded press release.

This was almost certainly a mistake - it is the sort of statement that says too much - and where the reality appears to be very different from the high minded words of the airline's representatives.

Listen to the Emirates pilots

4 October 2009

The Melbourne Herald-Sun continues its strange campaign against Emirates Airline.

EK now world's largest 777 operator

30 July 2009

Emirates announced yesterday that it is now the world’s largest airline operator of Boeing 777 aircraft after taking delivery of its 78th plane on Thursday.

Emirates close call

10 July 2009

A Dubai bound Emirates 777 was involved in a near miss with a Canadian forces business jet over Canada on 24 April according to emerging reports.

Canadian federal aviation officials are investigating the near miss incident. According to the Transportation Safety Board, a Canadian Forces CC-144 Challenger jet was flying eastbound on April 24 to Ottawa from Vancouver with an unknown number of passengers on board. An Emirates Boeing 777, which can carry up to 266 people, was flying from Los Angeles to Dubai.

Emirates adding 3rd Sydney flight

20 June 2009

Effective 2nd December 2009 Emirate will be flying a third daily, and a second non stop, flight to Sydney.

Emirates pilots and the ATSB

20 June 2009 - The Melbourne Herald-Sun

"Emirates pilots have complained to Australia's air safety regulator that airline work practices were to blame for the near disastrous tail-strike incident at Melbourne airport three months ago.

The Middle East airline is accused of unfair rostering, clamping down on subsidised housing allowances and bending the rules on flight hours.

Emirates US$70 million repair bill

19 June 2009

Emirates will pay an expected uS$70 million to repair the A340-500 jet that was severely damaged in a near disastrous take-off incident at Melbourne Airport.

Middle East airlines have few friends

10 June 2009

There were feathers flying at the IATA meeting in Kuala Lumpur at the the start of this week as struggling airlines from North America and Asia complained about losing market share to Gulf carriers Monday, amid accusations of predatory pricing and capacity dumping as the industry experiences its worst slump on record.

But the region’s carriers rejected their rivals’ complaints saying they were generating new demand by opening up previously untapped markets.

Executives from Air Canada and Air New Zealand attacked the “Big Three” carriers from the Gulf – Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways – which have built their airlines on a go-it-alone strategy, rather than joining alliances with established players.

Emirates to add more India flights

29 May 2009

Emirates Airline's existing service of 163 flights per week to 10 Indian gateways will be strengthened to 185 over the summer and winter periods

Emirates crew jailed for bomb hoax

22 May 2009

An Australian flight attendant working for Emirates Airline has been jailed after creating a bomb hoax on his flight.

Matthew Carney, 23, hid a message in the plane's lavatory which read: "Explosive material can be found in the FWD (forward cargo department). We have the Taliban to thank for this."

A passenger found the apparent threat on board Emirates Flight EK011 from Dubai and immediately warned the plane's cabin crew.

Emirates defends safety procedures

3 May 2009

Quoted in an article in today's Herald Sun Emirates Airline says that it added extra safety checks to its take-off procedures in a bid to prevent a repeat of the near-fatal tail strike of a passenger jet at Melbourne Airport.

The company said it had installed a second laptop into each of its aircraft to avoid a repeat of the Melbourne incident on March 20, when incorrect data was loaded into the plane's computers, causing it to set an inadequate take-off speed.

What is going on at EK?

28 April 2009

The old adage that the beatings will continue until morale improves seems to have never been truer than at Emirates. There are rumours of 11 pilots fired in the last month, including the two pilots operating EK412 which had the tail-strike at Melboure.

More recent casualties involve two pilots who flew a take off at Accra that started at an intersection (taxiway and runway); the plane was light, but the take off encroached on secure space (a palace it is rumoured) and there were complaints from the local ATC. At no point were passenger lives in any way endangered.

Is there another delay at JXB?

21 April 2009

Dubai's airport chief said yesterday that a new airport envisioned as the world's biggest passenger and freight hub could see its first flight pushed back further than planned.

In addition, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said the number of runways at the colossal Al Maktoum International Airport has been scaled back to five from the six slated originally.

The new $33 billion facility and surrounding multi-use development, being built in the desert outskirts of Dubai, now isn't expected to see action until at least June 2010, a year later than a previously planned inauguration, Griffiths said in an interview. But that date is now under review.

EK 407 pilots resigned?

5 April 2009

Emirates Airline has confirmed that the two Emirates Airline pilots involved in an emergency landing at Melbourne Airport last month have resigned.

The National newspaper reports that "in announcing the resignations, Boutros Boutros, the airline’s senior vice president for media relations, said he did not know why the pilots had quit. He declined to give further details. “We do not like to talk about it because now the investigation is ongoing,” Mr Boutros said. “We have to wait for the investigation. I know that they resigned; that is all I can confirm.”

Hilarious stuff from Boutros Boutros; the rumour is that they resigned because they had no option but to sign the letters that were drafted for their signature and presented to them within hours of their return to Dubai some ten days ago.

Ek announces service to Angola

1 April 2009

This is not an April Fool although there are many people who will be asking where is Luanda!?

But this announcement caught me by surprise! Emirates is launching 3 weekly service on the Dubai - Luanda service from 04AUG09. Service to the Angolan capital is operated by A330-200.

EK offers unpaid leave to crew

1 April 2009 - this is not an April Fool story!

Emirates Airline has offered its cabin crew staff voluntary unpaid leave amidst rumours of a huge drop in profits.

The leave is being offered to all Emirates’ cabin crew staff for a minimum of one month, up to a maximum of six months, starting from May 2009.

Emirates steward is alleged bomb hoaxer

23 March 2009

It is not the best of publicity week's for everyone's favourite Dubai airline and the PR department will have been earning their salaries this week.

The bomb hoax on the early morning flight to London's Gatwick Airport last Sunday was allegedly the work of a junior flight steward. The Emirates Boeing 777 from Dubai landed at Gatwick Airport and was greeted by Sussex Police and a Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit who evacuated the passengers and crew before searching the aircraft and luggage for explosive devices.

EK in Melbourne incident

21 March 2009

An Emirates flight (EK407) made an emergency landing in Melbourne after the Airbus A340-500's tail struck the tarmac on take-off.

Flight EK407, headed for Dubai with 225 passengers on board, had to dump fuel and there were reports of smoke filling the cabin before the plane made an emergency landing about 30 minutes after the 10.30pm.

Emirates to take A380 to Toronto from June

16 March 2009

In a significant change of plans the Airbus A380 double-decker jumbo jet will be making its commercial debut in Canada this June at Toronto's Pearson International Airport when Emirates Airline will be adding the world's largest plane to its Toronto-Dubai route on June 1.

Qantas and Etihad to take on Emirates

12 March 2009

Qantas and Etihad yesterday announced a strategic alliance and codeshare agreement that will allow the two carriers to compete with Emirates dominant position in the Middle East to Australia market.

Emirates boldly continues expansion

19 February 2009 - Emirates Press Release

Emirates Announces 2009 Expansion Plan - Airline to increase capacity by 14 per cent

Emirates Airline today unveiled plans to grow the number of flights across its network by 14 per cent in 2009.

Emirates to drop Nagoya; start Durban.

13 January 2009

It is rare indeed for fast expanding Emirates to actually drop a route from its network but with effect from the end of the winter schedule Emirates will be dropping the crew popular, but passenger light, flights to Nagoya.

Emirates will operate its last flight to NGO will from DXB on 28 March 2009.

Questioning EK's so called green flight

17 December 2008

On 15th December, Emirates Airline flew its first flight non stop to San Francisco. The airline rather optimistically announced a new environmental programme and called this the world's longest green journey.

Emirates said that it has worked closely with government agencies in Dubai, Russia, Iceland, Canada and the United States and other countries to plot this the most environmentally-sophisticated route and trip possible to help save an estimated 2,000 gallons of fuel and 30,000 pounds of carbon emissions on the 16-hour non-stop service.

EK pilots find A380 too quiet

4 December 2008

Weary Emirates Airbus A380 pilots are complaining that they cannot sleep in their crew-rest area in the aft main cabin because the aircraft is too quiet.

The pilots say that the lack of engine noise in the A380's cabin compared with other long-haul airliners means they are constantly disturbed by sounds created by passengers, such as crying babies, flushing vacuum toilets and call bells. Passengers also mistake the rest area for a lavatory, and pull the door handle.

Abu Dhabi wants stake in Emirates?

1 December 2008

The UK's Sunday Times newspaper is reporting that Abu Dhabi has demanded control of Emirates, Dubai’s flagship airline, as the price of a multi-billion pound cash injection for the Gulf kingdom.

The fast-growing airline, long the envy of neighbouring Arab states, has emerged in recent days as the centrepiece of negotiations over a financial bail-out for cash-strapped Dubai.

Dubai has been hit hard by the credit crunch. Its property market, in which the big players are state-owned or backed, has enjoyed explosive growth over the last decade but prices are now tumbling, leaving heavily indebted developers badly exposed.

EK-EY merger rumours continue

29 November 2008

The Times newspaper - 29 November 2008

"You can be sure that the rumours have reached the boardrooms of airlines from London to Dallas to Chicago and beyond ... and you can be pretty sure what the reaction has been. Horror. Dismay. Alarm.

In an era when Western airlines are struggling, downsizing and preparing to battle for fewer customers in a shrinking economy, the chattering classes in the Gulf are talking up the prospect of a merger between Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways.

Emirates profits fall on oil prices

10 November 2008

To no one's surprise Emirates Airline produced a greatly reduced net profit of Dh284 million (US$77 million) for the first six months of its current financial year ending September 30, 2008. This is down 88 per cent compared to Dh2.36 billion (US$643 million) net profits for the same period in 2007, showing the impact of the record fuel prices earlier this year.

The profit fall is despite an increase in operating revenues of 31% to $6bn.

Emirates' lavish LA launch

29 October 2008

Emirates began nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Dubai this week, and in keeping with a reputation for lavish parties the airline held one of the more lavish Hollywood parties of the season.

Forget global economic meltdown Emirates is spending more than $3 million for the party at the Kodak Theatre, hosted by Hilary Swank and featuring an hour long concert by Ricky Martin. A four-course dinner is being prepared by Wolfgang Puck.

1 February 2008

The Chairman of Emirates has announced that the airline will open 8 news destinations in 2008 and take delivery of 22 new airplanes (almost 2 a month). The only announced destination so far is Cape Town. There are five other that insiders say are confirmed with two others to be agreed.

The five confirmed by insiders are:

Buenos Aires GIG
Chicago Orly ORD
Los Angeles LAX
Rio de Janeiro EZE
Madrid MAD

The Buenos Aires/Rio flight could be combined into a single route probably with the A340-500.

Emirate announces Cape Town from March 2008

12 December 2007

Emirates Airline will launch daily flights to Cape Town, effective 30th March 2008.

28 October 2007

The agreement includes multi designations. The designated airlines of each party will be permitted to operate unlimited weekly passenger frequencies and capacity in each direction with any type of aircraft, and to operate all cargo services with full traffic rights including Fifth Freedom traffic right without any restrictions.

That would allow EK To fly to Central and South America (eg Mexico or Argentina or even Miami) via Madrid or Barcelona.

Emirates Airline yesterday signed a $2.6-billion deal to buy eight more Airbus A380 superjumbos, taking the Dubai-based airline's total order for the aircraft to 55.

Emirates Airline announced plans to upgrade the interiors of its long-haul aircraft as it continues its bid to become the dominant carrier between Europe and Asia.

Tim Clark, Emirates CEO, said over the next 18 months the airline would spend Dh180 million on its enhanced first-class product alone, which includes flat beds with in-seat massage, dine-on-demand room service, in-suite personal mini bar and private sliding doors. These facilities are already installed on some of the fleet but this will be a better finished product.

Emirates airline, the largest customer of Airbus A380 superjumbo aircraft, will carry a massive 644 passengers in some of the 47 planes it has on order when it begins receiving them next year.

Emirates has announced that its A380s will have three separate seating configurations tailor made to different routes. The highest density configuration will seat 644 in business and economy with no first class.

Jebel Ali move expected by 2016

20 March 2007

Emirates A380 woes

17 March 2007

Emirates President Tim Clark has said that the operating costs of its A380 fleet will be higher than originally planned due to an extra six tons of weight which will cost the airline extra money in operation for the next 10 or 15 years.

EK announces Houston from Dec 2007

8 February 2007

Emirates has announced the December 3rd launch of its new Boeing 777-200LR non-stop service between Houston and Dubai which will initially operate three times a week, increasing to a daily service starting February 1, 2008.

EK to Brazil from October

24 January 2007

Exciting times for Emirates as it announced yesterday that it would become the first Gulf airline to break into the Latin American market in October with direct flights to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Emirates goes to Tyneside

12 January 2007

Newcastle is to become the newest addition to the Emirates route network. The airline has announced that it will start daily non-stop services from the north-east airport to its hub in Dubai from September 1. The service will be Newcastle’s first ever scheduled long-haul service.

Emirates to fly the Aussie cricketers

23 November 2006

Ipods for Emirates

14 November 2006

Apple Computer Inc. said Tuesday it its iPod music players will be integrated into the in-flight entertainment systems of six airlines.