IATA statistics from a recent airline industry report. 2015 & 2016 were the MOST profitable years EVER for airlines worldwide. It is estimated that 2017 will fall between the two.....so we are currently experiencing the 3 most profitable years ever for airlines!! For the airlines with falling profits or worse it must be asked, where have the management gone wrong???
Eh - We had the most profitable year ever in last years results.
Oil companies in the M/East account for 29% of the regions GDP. Where oil goes - the region goes, and with that EK in particular, add in our wrong sized fleet and increasing hub by pass & emergence of LHLC
The Economist says it better.
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21721956-aviations-most-successful-business-model-under-strain-super-connector-airlines-face