United Dubai exit leaves room for Emirates, other carriers

Dubai: Emirates says its “comes as no surprise” that United “has chosen to politicise their decision” to pull out of flights to Dubai from January.

United said on Wednesday that it will drop its daily Washington DC to Dubai flight, blaming pressure from the fast-growing Gulf carriers and the loss of a US government contract.

In a response to an earlier Gulf News comment request, an Emirates spokesperson rejected United’s assertions that it receives government handouts.

“Contrary to United’s contentions, Emirates is not a 'subsidised government carrier' nor is JetBlue merely a ticketing agent of Emirates. We have comprehensively demonstrated time and again, that Emirates is run on a fully-commercial and profitable basis, and that we have in fact returned over $3.3 billion in dividends to our owners to date,” the spokesperson said by email.

JetBlue has been awarded a US government contract to carry government employees, including active US military personnel.

As the airline does not fly to the Middle East, Gulf-bound passengers will fly with Emirates, the carrier’s codeshare partner.

United unsuccessfully protested the decision to award the contract to JetBlue, and Emirates by extension.

“Every day, numerous Emirates wide-body aircraft arrive at U.S. gateway airports and unload thousands of travellers, many of whom then continue on to destinations inside and outside the United States on JetBlue aircraft -- to points that Emirates does not serve on its own, and which due to its codeshare with JetBlue, Emirates is able to offer. Similarly, many JetBlue passengers fly on Emirates-operated aircraft to destinations that Jetblue does not serve with its own aircraft, such as between the U.S. and Dubai,” Emirates said.

United’s decision to stop flying to Dubai from Washington DC next year is raising questions over their motivation, with a senior Emirates airline executive saying there is strong demand on the route.

“It is a good route, I don’t know why they want to pull out,” Adel Ahmad Al Redha, Emirates’ executive vice president and chief operations officer, told reporters on Thursday at Emirates headquarters.

“Curiously, they don’t say it was unprofitable — just less profitable,” Will Horton, Senior Analyst at CAPA — Centre for Aviation, told Gulf News by email

United’s decision now creates room for another airline to start flying, or in Emirates case, add capacity on the route because of the demand, according to Al Redha.

“For anybody, not only Emirates, there is the demand; there is demand from Washington to Dubai,” he said.

“Seems like Washington is now a good opportunity for growth — another frequency or [an Airbus] A380,” Horton said.

United’s decision means that no US airline will fly directly to the Gulf after Delta said in October it will stop flying to Dubai from Atlanta. United has said its passengers can travel with partners Lufthansa and Air Canada.

US carriers United, Delta and America have led a campaign against Gulf carriers Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways this year calling on the US government to restrict them from adding flights to the US over allegations they are state subsidised. The Gulf carriers have repeatedly denied the claims.

Emirates says its “comes as no surprise” that United “has chosen to politicise their decision” to pull out of flights to Dubai.

In a response to an earlier Gulf News comment request, an Emirates spokesperson rejected United’s assertions that it receives government handouts.

“Contrary to United’s contentions, Emirates is not a “subsidized government carrier” nor is JetBlue merely a ticketing agent of Emirates. We have comprehensively demonstrated time and again, that Emirates is run on a fully-commercial and profitable basis, and that we have in fact returned over $3.3 billion in dividends to our owners to date,” the spokesperson said by email.

JetBlue has been awarded a US government contract to carry government employees, including active US military personnel. As the airline does not fly to the Middle East, Gulf-bound passengers will fly with Emirates, the carrier’s codeshare partner.

United unsuccessfully protested the decision to award the contract to JetBlue, and Emirates by extension.

“Every day, numerous Emirates wide-body aircraft arrive at U.S. gateway airports and unload thousands of travellers, many of whom then continue on to destinations inside and outside the United States on JetBlue aircraft - to points that Emirates does not serve on its own, and which due to its codeshare with JetBlue, Emirates is able to offer. Similarly, many JetBlue passengers fly on Emirates-operated aircraft to destinations that Jetblue does not serve with its own aircraft, such as between the U.S. and Dubai,” Emirates said.