Skip to player
Skip to main content
Skip to footer
Search
Connect
Watch fullscreen
Like
Comments
Bookmark
Share
Add to Playlist
Report
Emirates’ Shaikh Ahmad bullish despite global economic worries
Gulf News
Follow
2/12/2025
Emirates’ Shaikh Ahmad bullish despite global economic worries. Emirates' Shaikh Ahmad talks to Gulf News about Brexit and expanding into the United States. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
Category
🗞
News
Transcript
Display full video transcript
00:00
Your Highness, thank you for speaking with Gulf News Today at the Arabian Travel Market.
00:09
In two months from now, the United Kingdom will vote in a referendum on where it will
00:12
decide to stay or leave the European Union. If it leaves, this will have economic ramifications
00:17
for the world. How do you see this impacting the travel sector and particularly Emirates
00:22
who flies to a number of destinations in the Kingdom?
00:25
The decision is for the Brits to decide on that. I'm sure the British people are wise
00:31
enough to decide what's good for Britain and the UK in that regard. I think everybody expects
00:41
them to stay. This is what we are hearing. We hear also that the odds are 3-1 that they
00:49
will be staying in the EU. I think we have a good bilateral today with the British and
00:58
also with many other countries within the EU where we see that they want Emirates, they
01:07
want the product of Emirates. It has made a lot of difference to their airport where
01:13
they operate at the moment. So I take it, as you see in Britain, we have increased our
01:21
flight to Heathrow. I think we're going to six flights to the 80s and also the other
01:28
airports within the United Kingdom.
01:31
Are you concerned though that if Britain was to leave, it would have an impact on the global
01:36
travel sector? Some analysts say there would be a drop in travel both to and from the United
01:40
Kingdom if they were to leave.
01:42
I don't think that the travel, I think, as a destination, still is one of the destinations
01:48
that a lot of passengers want to go to and the UK will always remain. It's an excellent
01:56
market, I think, regardless of what the decision would be at the time.
02:01
It's been a difficult time for the travel sector over the past 12 months, which is where
02:04
we've seen the bombing of a Russian passenger jet in Egypt, terrorist attacks in Paris and
02:09
in Brussels. How do you see the next 12 months for the travel sector and particularly to
02:13
Emirates and the destinations it flies to?
02:15
I'm always thinking in a positive way and this is the way we are here in Dubai. I think
02:24
we deal with whatever comes in our way and we try to manage it. I think we have seen
02:33
the last couple of years many destinations have been closed for reasons beyond our control,
02:40
I would say, but we managed to grow the business, the destinations that we fly to and so on.
02:49
So I think 2016 will still be a good year and you see it from the number of aircraft
02:57
that we see coming to the Emirates fleets. We'll be receiving this year 37 aircraft,
03:09
21 380s and 16 777s. Of course there are some aircraft, older aircraft will be going out of
03:17
the fleet, but still that's a huge capacity that will add up. We're opening new destinations,
03:24
Kaplan in China and also two other points within that Asian region.
03:31
Is Asia where you see Emirates growing in the coming years or do you expect
03:35
more growth in mature markets such as the United Kingdom and the United States?
03:39
I think it's all over. I mean still you look at Africa, there is a big room for growth within
03:46
Africa. Asia, China, the Indian subcontinent, Europe also. I think we opened a new destination
04:01
this year in Italy, Bologna as the one in Europe and we are also in the process of
04:07
taking an open new destination in the year to come somewhere in Europe.
04:13
Alexandre Di Giugniac, the Chief Executive of Air France KLM is about to become the IATA
04:18
Director General where he is supposed to represent in the interests of all airlines.
04:23
In the past as Chief Executive of Air France he has opposed the growth of the big three
04:27
Gulf carriers including your airline Emirates. Do you think that he is the right person for the job?
04:33
Can he be a neutral representative of all airlines? I think he should be a neutral
04:38
representative if he is on the IATA because the IATA is all about all the airlines under
04:44
one umbrella and they should really be discussing more a positive way to see the aviation sector
04:51
and where it is going. So I'm sure whoever will be selected, I'm sure people who should be
04:56
selecting him, they should really see that the way. And what happens if Mr Di Giugniac is appointed
05:03
and he represents only a certain block like he has in the past that were anti-Gulf carriers?
05:08
Yeah but it's different before maybe he's representing a country or an airline but now
05:16
he's not on his own, it's not his sole decision where to take IATA. In 2015 there was an aggressive
05:23
campaign by American carriers against Emirates and other Gulf airlines trying to stop them from
05:27
growing in the United States. So far this year we've heard little noise on that front. Do you
05:32
think that campaign is over? Oh under the contract or the bilateral today we can't fly
05:39
but there is no issue with the bilateral. The bilateral still exists between the UAE and
05:47
America. Of course I mean and this is what I mean we fly today to 11 destinations
05:54
in the state. So now I would say the ball is in the American court
05:58
at the White House and we didn't hear anything so far from them. I think we put up
06:07
our case in regard of talking about subsidy to the airline and we would really prove that
06:14
those are the right figures. Is there more expansion coming into the United States? Can we
06:19
see Emirates flying to more than 10 cities in the United States soon? Oh yeah I think the future
06:25
will always be I think to cover there is many states who are really interested that we should
06:31
be flying to. For over a year now Emirates has been calling on Airbus to commit to building a
06:37
re-engined more fuel efficient version of the A380, a flagship aircraft in the Emirates fleet.
06:43
Have you had any commitments from Airbus on whether they will build this aircraft?
06:48
You know that the A380 is one of the flag carrier today for Emirates beside the 777,
06:55
also a beautiful aircraft that we fly to. We will always want really to see this big airline
07:03
to continue. I mean still we have that 77 aircraft that has been delivered so far to Emirates and we
07:10
should see this number is going to 142 and this is why we recently also bought two new ones.
07:17
But still no confirmation from Airbus on whether they will build the A380neo?
07:24
We have to see what the Airbus will come up to. Earlier this year Airbus chief sales executive
07:30
John Leahy said that even if Emirates wanted the plane they couldn't take the A380neo until the
07:34
mid 2025s because of congestion at Dubai International. How busy is that airport
07:40
getting and what does that mean for your growth? You know I think with the process now of building
07:44
the new airport at Al Maktoum airport with the first expansion which should finish late next
07:54
year 2017 and that would give the Al Maktoum international capacity of 25 million plus the
08:02
second phase of Al Maktoum which is the 90 plus million passenger. So we'll have two airports
08:09
with a capacity of more than 200 million and I think that will be no issue to deal with. I think
08:16
yeah it is tight at Dubai International because of the runway capacity but it's something that
08:22
we are dealing with and the A380 has helped a lot seeing that the number of on an average of
08:29
one aircraft landing at Dubai International Airport come in count of number of passengers
08:37
is 207 in total on average of every aircraft lands. Your Highness once again thank you for
08:43
taking the time to speak with Golf News today. The Emirates financial year ended on March 31st and
08:48
you're expected to report your financial results in the coming days. Can you give us an idea on
08:53
what they're looking like? Oh we should really have the total number of people that we fly
08:59
should be above the 50 million passenger. I think we should see really a good result
09:06
for Emirates and its financial result. You know as you know we publish really our number just
09:14
a month after the end of the financial year and I don't think there is any company who do that
09:20
you know after the end within just just one month or one month and 10 days the date
09:26
which has been decided. So we are really at the last week of confirming all the figures and numbers.
Recommended
13:21
|
Up next
Emirates 2015 annual report highlights another profitable year
Gulf News
2/11/2025
1:37
Remembering UAE President Sheikh Khalifa
Gulf News
2/15/2025
0:36
Musical road in Fujairah
Khaleej Times
yesterday
1:15
Dubai successfully conducts test flight ahead of 2026 rollout
Khaleej Times
yesterday
0:54
Flying taxi successful test run in Dubai
Khaleej Times
yesterday
1:50
Test flight of the Joby Aerial Taxi
Gulf News
yesterday
1:16
England braces for intense June heatwave
Gulf News
yesterday
1:17
Europe faces scorching early summer heat
Gulf News
yesterday
0:58
Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra
Gulf News
2 days ago
0:55
ACTVET to host Skills Camp programme to enhance national capabilities
Gulf News
3 days ago
1:41
Abu Dhabi Police Warns Against Risky Behaviors Near “Darb” Toll Gate
Gulf News
4 days ago
0:47
Bears escape from enclosure at UK wildlife park
Gulf News
6 days ago
17:21
How a pizza delivery boy from UK became an Amazon shop king in Dubai
Gulf News
6 days ago
0:36
Sharjah Police launched new community patrols
Gulf News
6/24/2025
1:44
India Rain
Gulf News
6/24/2025
1:22
Pakistan Polo Festival at World’s highest polo ground
Gulf News
6/23/2025
1:14
People Take Shelter At TelAviv Train Station As Air
Gulf News
6/23/2025
1:00
Adnan Sami talking about his Dubai concert
Gulf News
6/21/2025
18:19
MEP_Build360_Panels-Keynote
Gulf News
6/20/2025
4:40
Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par :The film tries too hard to inspire but ends up sweet but snoozy
Gulf News
6/20/2025
1:01
House robbery
Gulf News
6/20/2025
2:11
Thailand credits prey releases for 'extraordinary' tiger recovery
Gulf News
6/20/2025
1:55
From Tehran to Canada via Turkey: One Iranian's bid to flee the war
Gulf News
6/20/2025
21:05
Inside Million Dollar Listing star's Dubai villa: 300-year-old oak tree kitchen, outdoor gym and pizza pit in The Lakes
Gulf News
6/19/2025
1:38
1000103297
Gulf News
6/19/2025