Emirates will return strong and fast: Tim Clark

In a firm tone, Tim Clark, president of Emirates, stated that the company will recover from the crisis affecting Middle Eastern airlines, and that European airlines hoping to capitalise on the current weakness should proceed with caution.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Clark said the airline “has no intention of reducing or cutting back on operations or doing anything of the sort.”

He added that it was “a little sad” to see European airlines taking advantage of their Middle Eastern competitors’ weaknesses, having missed decades of the opportunity to develop a strategy to counter the rise of new airlines in the region.

“My message to them all is: be careful what you wish for, because we will come back strong and very quickly,” Clark said.

Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways have all been forced to reduce their operations since the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in late February, due to the closure of airspace in the region and damage to some infrastructure caused by drone strikes. This has disrupted one of the world’s most important aviation regions for weeks, giving airlines like Germany’s Lufthansa an opportunity to increase their capacity to Asia.

Clark also made a passionate plea for Emirates to be granted free and open access to more markets, including Berlin, where the airline has long sought operating rights. So far, German authorities have rejected this request, stating that the airline already holds operating rights to four German cities and will not be granted any more.

Economic Wealth: “We have brought tremendous economic wealth to Germany just through what we have purchased,” Clark said, referring to the airline’s investments in aircraft parts manufactured in Germany, as well as its dealings with local suppliers.

“We have very strong reasons to be allowed to fly to Berlin,” he added.

He confirmed that Emirates is ready to launch daily flights to the German cities of Berlin and Stuttgart, and is committed to investing more than €100 million annually to operate these two new routes in the form of operating expenses, staff salaries, airport fees, fuel, and other costs, subject to approval from the German Federal Ministry of Transport.

Clark also indicated that the airline is in no hurry to order the Airbus A350-1000, the larger version of the wide-body aircraft, of which it already operates the smaller version. Emirates has publicly criticized the performance of the aircraft’s engines, stating that the Rolls-Royce engines do not meet its standards for durability and reliability.