"Dubai is a difficult market. It represents a strategic interest along the lines of Shannon Heathrow. It should be pulled and the aircraft reployed on US or another Asian route if needs be. Same arguments apply as there are arguments for and against retention of the Shannon Heathrow route."
I'm not arguing with this, but that wasn't my point; what I was trying to argue was that it didn't/doesn't give DXB its best shot. If it had done so - with a consistent service product, effective marketing, interlining with EK, good scheduling, maybe the route could have been a success.
I would still argue that DXB is much more important to EI than SNN-LHR, if it still the airline's plan - as it often states - to expand eastwards.