Recent concerns expressed in some quarters in Canada regarding the impact of a daily Emirates service between Dubai and Toronto are hugely exaggerated. These additional four flights per week would equate in terms of seats to only about 2% of Air Canada’s weekly international departures and arrivals (even excluding Air Canada flights to and from the US). Hardly, a level which would indicate that additional Emirates flights pose a dire threat to the future of Air Canada.
There is no direct competitive overlap between Emirates and Air Canada in the Middle East, Africa or the South Asian Subcontinent since Air Canada does not operate services to any point in these regions.
In relation to claims that Emirates is reliant on third country traffic, our connecting traffic is only complementary to the substantial and fast growing Canada-UAE origin and destination traffic on our Dubai-Toronto flights. In carrying this connecting traffic, Emirates also provides enhanced access between Canada and various regions of the world which are underserved or not served at all from Canada. Connecting passengers today represent a key part of the overall traffic mix for all network carriers - including Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners.
To suggest that the commercial interests of Air Canada’s partners within Star Alliance (with its 26 member airlines, annual passengers of over 600 million and a fleet of almost 4,000 aircraft) would be seriously impacted by a daily Emirates service between Dubai and Toronto lacks credibility.
Emirates always looks to generate new demand, and not redistribute existing traffic. It is not Emirates’ policy to engage in capacity dumping or predatory pricing - Emirates prices its product competitively in all markets.