Emirates Airways, one of the big-3 Gulf carriers, is dropping 25 flights a week between its home in Dubai and five cities in the U.S. due to a sharp drop in reservations in recent months.
The airline is blaming the slump on uncertainty over travel bans and restrictions on electronics on its flights to the U.S. In a statement, the airline said that "This is a commercial decision in response to weakened travel demand to U.S. ...The recent actions taken by the U.S. government relating to the issuance of entry visas, heightened security vetting, and restrictions on electronic devices in aircraft cabins, have had a direct impact on consumer interest and demand for air travel into the U.S."
"Until the start of 2017, Emirates’ operations in the U.S. has seen healthy growth and performance, driven by customer demand for our high-quality product and our international flight connections. However, over the past 3 months, we have seen a significant deterioration in the booking profiles on all our U.S. routes, across all travel segments."
The cuts, which will take effect over the next 2-3 months, will see twice-daily flights reduced to one-a-day between Dubai and Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle, and will cut service to its two Florida destinations, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, from every day to five-a-week.
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