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An Airbus SE A380 passenger aircraft, operated by Emirates Airline, taxis on the tarmac. Image Credit: Bloomberg

Dubai: Emirates Airline said on Saturday that a “significant number” of its flights will be cancelled or re-timed due to the closure of a runway at Dubai International Airport for maintenance work between April 16 and May 30.

The Dubai-based carrier said it will reduce the overall number of flights it operates during the 45-day period by 25 per cent, with up to 48 of its aircraft not utilised in that period.

Other adjustments include changes to the type of aircraft operating on some routes, in order to minimise the impact of the runway’s closure, as well as operational changes throughout the year to respond to “global travel demand trends.”

For Australia, Emirates will suspend its flights between Bangkok and Sydney from June 1. It will continue to serve Sydney with direct flights from Dubai, though.

The carrier will adjust its routes to Perth, too, serving the city with a once-daily Airbus service.

Flights to South America will also be adjusted, with Emirates suspending its linked flight from Dubai to Santiago via Sao Paulo.

In the United Kingdom, Emirates will replace its double-daily Boeing 777 service with a once-daily Airbus A380 service from April 16 to May 31. From June 1 till September 30, Emirates will resume operations of a double-daily service to Glasgow, with one daily Boeing 777 and one Airbus A380, offering additional capacity to meet increased demand over the summer.

As for the rest of Europe, Emirates will operate daily flights to Zagreb in Croatia from March 31 to October 26. This will be reduced, however, to four times a week during the runway’s closure.