Dubai: Emirates said it has transported thousands more passengers to Europe, supported by a full schedule of European flights and extra services to London.
"In addition to the usual eight daily flights to the British capital, a further two were added to London Gatwick, clearing 1,000 extra passengers travelling to and from the UK. This followed two extra Gatwick flights on Thursday, while a further Gatwick service is planned for Friday," the airline said in a statement.
All of Emirates 22 routes into Europe are operating, but the airline again reminded passengers not to go to airports unless they have a confirmed seat on a flight.
Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Europe and Russian Federation, said: "We're into day two of the recovery operation and we are making good progress now that stability has returned to European airspace. However, our network is extensive and people have been affected in all corners of the world. We have a duty to look after every single passenger to make sure that they are on their way as soon as possible."
Mohammad Mattar, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President, Airport Services, said: "We know this is not easy and people have been very patient, but we need everyone's cooperation to resolve this as quickly as possible. This is unprecedented as far as we are concerned and our staff are doing all they can to place passengers on flights as capacity becomes available. The number of remaining transit passengers in Dubai continues to dwindle with each departing flight."
Mattar said: "If your flight is confirmed to operate and you are holding a confirmed ticket, it's ok to go to the airport. If you were booked on a flight that was cancelled and not holding a confirmed seat on an alternative flight, we ask you not to go to the airport. Please get in touch with Emirates or your travel agent."
Online check-in remains suspended for all Emirates' flights and passengers are urged to check the status of their flights on www.emirates.com, which is updated every five minutes.
At the height of the havoc caused by the volcanic ash clouds from Iceland, Emirates had a fifth of its fleet grounded and up to 6,000 transit passengers accommodated in hotels across Dubai. Losses were running at $10 million per day.
There is also good news for the more than 2,000 tonnes of cargo, which was held up in Dubai.
Ram Menen, Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo, said: "Emirates SkyCargo has now cleared its backlogged cargo in Dubai. We are operating a normal service to the UK and Europe. Customers with new bookings should contact their local office."
