PODCAST | Emirates set to return to pre-pandemic flight and service levels by May
Globally, Emirates is now flying to 92% of the routes it did before the Covid-19 pandemic
02 November 2022 - 17:31
by Mudiwa Gavaza
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Emirates, one of the world’s largest airline operators, expects to have returned to pre-Covid-19 pandemic flight and services levels between Dubai and SA, by May.
In this edition of Business Day Spotlight, we talk about the recovery of the travel and tourism sector, through the lens of an airline.
Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Badr Abbas, Emirates senior vice-president for commercial operations in Africa.
This week, the United Arab Emirates-based company said it would be increasing the number of flights to and from SA, as global travel continues to recover in the face of much fewer Covid-19 movement restrictions.
“We have announced additional services to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban,” said Abbas.
“The reintroduction of the [new] flights between Dubai and the Emirates’ three gateways in SA will enhance our schedule to 42 weekly vs the 49 flights we had weekly, pre-pandemic. We are hopeful that by May we’ll be able to bring back all 49 flights subject to market demand and operational capacity.”
As part of the push to get more people to SA, the SA Tourism Board has signed a memorandum of understanding with Emirates aimed at promoting tourism and inbound traffic from markets across Emirates’ network.
Globally, Emirates says it is now flying to 92% of the routes it did before the pandemic. However, when it comes to capacity recovery, the airline is at 74% of its pre-pandemic network capacity, with plans to get this back to 80% by the end of 2022. This means the company has 26% fewer flights, throughout the world, than it did before the pandemic.
In the region, the airline also has flights to Zimbabwe, Zambia and Angola. Locally, its partners include SAA, Airlink, Cemair and FlySafair, to feed travellers onto its network.
Abbas says the main driver of travel has been consumer flights, as business travel has been slow to recover.
Topics of discussion include: Emirates’ plans for the African market and broader Africa strategy; expansion plans for SA to recover to pre-pandemic capacity; competition within the market and Emirates’ investments in product and service offerings; together with an outlook for the coming year in travel.
• Business Day Spotlight is a TimesLIVE Production.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
BUSINESS DAY SPOTLIGHT
PODCAST | Emirates set to return to pre-pandemic flight and service levels by May
Globally, Emirates is now flying to 92% of the routes it did before the Covid-19 pandemic
Emirates, one of the world’s largest airline operators, expects to have returned to pre-Covid-19 pandemic flight and services levels between Dubai and SA, by May.
In this edition of Business Day Spotlight, we talk about the recovery of the travel and tourism sector, through the lens of an airline.
Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Badr Abbas, Emirates senior vice-president for commercial operations in Africa.
Join the conversation:
Subscribe for free: iono.fm | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Player.fm
This week, the United Arab Emirates-based company said it would be increasing the number of flights to and from SA, as global travel continues to recover in the face of much fewer Covid-19 movement restrictions.
“We have announced additional services to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban,” said Abbas.
“The reintroduction of the [new] flights between Dubai and the Emirates’ three gateways in SA will enhance our schedule to 42 weekly vs the 49 flights we had weekly, pre-pandemic. We are hopeful that by May we’ll be able to bring back all 49 flights subject to market demand and operational capacity.”
As part of the push to get more people to SA, the SA Tourism Board has signed a memorandum of understanding with Emirates aimed at promoting tourism and inbound traffic from markets across Emirates’ network.
Globally, Emirates says it is now flying to 92% of the routes it did before the pandemic. However, when it comes to capacity recovery, the airline is at 74% of its pre-pandemic network capacity, with plans to get this back to 80% by the end of 2022. This means the company has 26% fewer flights, throughout the world, than it did before the pandemic.
In the region, the airline also has flights to Zimbabwe, Zambia and Angola. Locally, its partners include SAA, Airlink, Cemair and FlySafair, to feed travellers onto its network.
Abbas says the main driver of travel has been consumer flights, as business travel has been slow to recover.
Topics of discussion include: Emirates’ plans for the African market and broader Africa strategy; expansion plans for SA to recover to pre-pandemic capacity; competition within the market and Emirates’ investments in product and service offerings; together with an outlook for the coming year in travel.
• Business Day Spotlight is a TimesLIVE Production.
Subscribe for free: iono.fm | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Player.fm
ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK: Travel is back, but the rules have changed
Tourism sector players fairly upbeat over festive season prospects
Saudi Arabian Airlines signs up to buy 100 electric air taxis from Lilium
Travel: Combining business and leisure travel has changed the way we fly
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.