Originally Posted by
UnderASouthernSky
Even if you can obtain additional slots at your busier outstations to maintain overall capacity (which comes at a cost, plus additional airport charges per movement) you need those slots to be well timed to align with the transfer banks at DXB - given the majority of customers connect over there.
Effectively adding another hour or two to total journey time because a new slot is less well-timed may push customers towards competing airlines if prices are similar.
Not unknown that you end up with a situation such as Cathay with CX251, 239 and 255 grouped together within a 40 minute window. Additional flights don’t automatically lead to additional banks at the hub.
Indeed in the case of Emirates already operate effectively 4 banks
EK002 and EK030 service the same bank with LHR afternoon departure with connections to South Asia and Australia
EK32 and EK04 also share the same bank evening bank
EK08 is the only daytime flight get the best onwards to the sub continent also some of Africa.
EK06 arrives in Dubai for the morning bank of mainly regional connections
Emirtes seem wedded to the banked hub concept rather than a rolling hub ,easy when you don’t have much of a regional commuter network on your books.