What's the latest on the disruptions?
Emirates services to and from the U.K and the rest of Europe are continuing as usual. We are doing our utmost to get passengers from around the network to their destinations as rapidly as possible.
To expedite passenger movement, Emirates is operating additional flights, wherever possible. Passengers are being asked to check the status of their flights on www.emirates.com before heading to the airport. The status of flights is updated every five minutes.
How are passengers being prioritised?
We are doing our very best to take care of passengers whose trips were first disrupted. We are trying to be fair and reasonable.
Will the cost of tickets increase during this period?
No. Emirates is not here to take advantage of the situation and will not exploit the crisis to increase fares. Our priority at the moment is to help people and get them to where they need to be. Passengers have been very patient and we are grateful for that. We ask everyone to bear with us.
What is your advice to passengers if they are trying to travel?
As you can imagine, Emirates is receiving a very high volume of calls to our contact centres. We'd ask all customers to go to www.emirates.com for the very latest flight information, which is updated every five minutes. We must stress that passengers should not go to the airport without a confirmed seat on a flight.
Online check in is currently suspended for all Emirates flights. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Passengers who are booked to travel during the next five days may wish to consider if their travel is essential, and possibly cancel their trips to allow those stranded to be accommodated.
What should affected customers do?
Emirates' passengers affected by the disruption can cancel their booking or change their onward destination without charge. All re-issue and cancellation fees will be waived while the disruption is ongoing. For rebooking or cancellations please call your local Emirates office or contact your travel agent.
For passengers currently in Dubai:
- If your flight is confirmed to operate and you are holding a confirmed ticket, please proceed to the airport.
- If you were booked on a flight that was cancelled and you do not hold a confirmed seat on an alternative flight, please do not go to the airport. Please contact Emirates or your travel agent.
For passengers currently in the U.K. and around Europe:
- If you are in the U.K. or elsewhere in Europe, you must hold a confirmed booking for a flight before going to the airport.
- If you were booked on a flight that was cancelled and you do not hold a confirmed seat on an alternative flight, please do not go to the airport - please contact Emirates or your travel agent.
For passengers in the rest of the world travelling to Europe via Dubai:
- Currently, Emirates is accepting passengers for travel to the UK and its other routes in Europe. You must hold a confirmed booking for a flight before going to the airport.
- If you were booked on a flight that was cancelled and you do not hold a confirmed seat on an alternative flight, please do not go to the airport. Please contact Emirates or your travel agent.
What is happening with the backlogged cargo?
Emirates SkyCargo has now cleared our backlogged cargo in Dubai. We are now operating a normal service to the UK and Europe. Customers with new bookings into or out of Europe should contact their local office.
What is Emirates' chief concern in all of this?
As always, our primary concern is for the safety of our passengers and crew and this will not be compromised.
What was the extent of the problem as far as passengers were concerned?
Around 100,000 passengers around the network were affected by the disruption with more than 270 flight cancellations. At the height of the disruption, Emirates was accommodating about 6,000 people in 49 hotels across Dubai. That figure dropped as airspaces opened and normal schedules resumed.
What losses were being incurred at the height of the disruption?
- Around $10 million a day in passenger revenue
- $2 million a day in lost cargo revenue
- More than 270 flights were impacted
- Around 100,000 passengers overall affected
- More than 2,000 tonnes of backlogged cargo was being stored in Dubai
Can Emirates financially survive this disruption and will the government step in?
As with previous cases of global trauma, the airline will plot a course out of this. The Government of Dubai will not be involved in financially supporting Emirates.
What's been said:
"This is the most drastic event to affect aviation in the region in decades" - Richard Vaughan, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Worldwide
"The affects are devastating at a time when Emirates was expecting seat factors of about 87% due to the Easter holidays. If it had happened in May or June it wouldn't have been so bad." Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline.