[Charles-P]

It’s quite remarkable how much business Emirates is getting right now. I am a regular user of their Brussels – Dubai service and the flight is nearly always full.

[FDOS_UK]

If you build it, they will come.

[rferguson]

FDOS – yes it’s a bit confusing as I know EK operates to the US (from MxP?) as does SQ (is it from MUC?) with traffic rights. I’m not sure how they go about this – whether they have to apply to Italy/Germany and the US for the right? I imagine there would be a HUGE campaign against allowing it from London. I guess MUC/MxP – JFK are perhaps underserved by the incumbent airlines? I remember at one stage SQ was campaigning long and hard to be able to fly LHR-JFK.

Actually slightly OT but interesting none the less – I read that KU has stopped flying between the UK and US. A passenger in the US with an Israeli passport was declined travel on KU between JFK and LHR. He took this to the powers that be whom ruled that KU had to either accept passengers regardless of nationality on the JFK-LHR-JFK legs or stop flying it altogether. KU decided on the latter and now flies direct where it can forbid Israelis based on government requirements for travel to Kuwait!

[FDOS_UK]

rferguson

Yes, I heard about KU. If you wish to carry people between the US and UK, you have to comply with the relevant legislation. No complaints from me about the legal ruling.

[AMcWhirter]

referguson – EK used to operate HAM-JFK. Everyone thought it would do well (because LH does not serve this route) but EK eventually withdrew citing lack of business.

EK serves MXP-JFK with an A380. The Italian govt in Rome (and AZ too, I guess) did their utmost to stop EK but they failed.

SQ used to fly ex-AMS to JFK and ORD. Both routes failed …no doubt because of KLM’s dominance (at that time) in the Dutch market.

SQ currently flies FRA-JFK with an A380. It does not fly MUC-JFK.

Negotiations around 5th freedom rights are complex and murky.

When the UK govt refused SQ transatlantic traffic rights I believe the German govt (maybe the Dutch too) stepped in and offered it (SQ) the rights.

I can’t see SQ picking up too many ex-FRA passengers for the JFK route. FRA is mainly a hub rather than an O&D destination and SQ’s flight leaves too early for many passengers to make connections.

[AMcWhirter]

We carried the KU story last December.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/102388/kuwait-airways-closes-lhr-jfk-route-in-discrimi

[rferguson]

Thanks Alex for the comprehensive list!

I’m surprised EK was able to launch an Italy – USA route without the support of the Italian government! I know that there is an EU-US open skies deal where any EU carrier can fly from any EU country/city to the US and vv but I would have thought there would still be bilateral agreements needed for fifth freedom rights for a non-EU carrier?

[AMcWhirter]

At the time it was confusing, referguson.

The Italian CAA (ENAC) granted EK the traffic rights but then TAR Lazio (an Italian court based in the Rome area) tried to get the decision overturned.

But the Milanese were furious. But at a later date they managed to overrule the TAR Lazio’s decision.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/emiratesa-milan-new-york-route-cancelled-orders

[FDOS_UK]

Roman/Milanese and intra UAE tensions – not surprised it was confusing 🙂

[JohnHarper]

I too wonder where the slots came from.

One wonders how many more A380s EK can fill leaving LHR, it’s a while since I’ve been with them but loads were generally high on the five services a day.

Anyway, it’s a good thing to have more competition, now if only they could gain rights across the Atlantic that would shape things up a bit.

[ZKSmith]

Given how many Emirates’ passengers transit through DXB, I wonder if these new flights will offer better connections to many flights, or if using these services will just result in much longer transit times compared to Emirates’ current services.

On a side note, does anyone know when the new concourse D at DXB is scheduled to open? I know that once opened Emirates will completely fill concourse C, allowing them to expand further (or at least use fewer remote stands).

[SimonS1]

Came through Dubai on Tuesday and they had the first public test of the concourse on Monday. So I would imagine that it won’t be long now.

Not sure on the connection times – if connecting around the Gulf, India, South Africa etc the frequencies are so regular I doubt it will make much difference. Joburg is 4x a day now for example.

[Marlow1971]

2016 12:54 GMT

Very soon, every day, there will be more EK A380s flying out of the UK than BA A380s!

And surely – that time has already come. BA only has 11 A380s and some are on two day rotations so there are rarely more than six scheduled departures from LHR utilising this behemoth.

EK will soon have six LHR flights which will be added to 2 LGW flights, 1 BHX flight and 2 MAN flights – 12 EK A380 departures a day is far in excess of BA’s total.

[MartynSinclair]

I presume Dubai has more transit passengers than arriving passengers. Do arrival gates consider which passengers are transferring to where… and what is the minimum transfer time required/allowed by the airport authorities.

[ImissConcorde]

rferguson – Stayed at Holiday Inn Silom Bangkok last week. There was a constant flow of EK crew. And all looking incredibly smart I might add.

[Author]

Posts