EK to make Italy its European Hub

[Visual Procedures]

From smh.com.au


Emirates to make Italy its European hub

November 25, 2008 - 10:41AM
Dubai's Emirates airline has chosen Italy as its European hub and has asked for more than 50 weekly landing slots in Milan, Rome and Venice, the Italian government said Monday.
"Emirates ... has chosen Italy as a hub to access Europe," said Italian UnderSecretary for Economic Development Adolfo Urso in a statement.
"Thanks to this agreement, Italy will more easily become a tourist destination for the newly rich from the Gulf and from southeast Asia."
Urso issued the statement after meeting United Arab Emirates Economy Minister Sultan Ben Said Al-Mansouri for talks in Abu Dhabi.
Government-owned Emirates, which currently has less than 10 landing slots per week in Italy, has asked for 21 slots in Rome, 21 in Milan and 14 in Venice, the statement said.
The group will also launch 28 cargo flights per week.
The deal also covers Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, which is in line for seven landing slots in Rome and the same number in Milan.
Emirates reported earlier this month that its net profit for the first half of the financial year had plummeted 88 per cent to 60 million euros (A$116 million) because of high oil prices.
AFP


Milan basing anyone?? :E

[kingoftheslipstream]

This is a little ray of sunshine I reckon...:)

But a hub do not a base make.

Fingers crossed for our Euro colleagues though!

[pool]

Vorrei essere di base a Milano!!:ok::ok::ok:

[ibelieveicanfly]

good.it may sound as a first step towards another base.If italian government accepts that,it is going to be tough for alitalia?!

[White Knight]

This is misinformation. EK has at least 14 slots a week for the daily Venice and Milan, I'd imagine another daily flight to Rome means that EK ALREADY has at least 21 landing slots a week... Wake up journalists:ugh::ugh:

[Airgus]

What about UK and Germany? ... they already have more flights per week to UK or Germany than Italy...

[Fred Garvin M.P.]

Just an increase in flights, no basing. Mumbai base anyone?

[White Knight]

13 daily to UK, 7 to Germany and 7 to Oz - but better make way for the rush of eyeties;);)

[Wizofoz]

It's a HUB when we use it as a staging point to fly people to OTHER destinations. Otherwise, it's just a well-served destination in itself!!

A bit of wishful thinking from an Italian politician, methinks!!

[PositiveRate876]

Typical journalists throwing words around to sell newspapers.

A second daily FCO next year is all that's going to come of it.
Only cause an agreement was signed doesn't mean it will be fully utilised right off the bat. It just creates an opportunity for a 2nd daily VCE and a 3rd daily MXP in 2010 or later.

[Visual Procedures]

Or PERHAPS...

EK flys 8 times per day to Italy.. (55 per weekish)

And they use their 'HUB' rights to send 54 brand spanking new 737-800s under the title of 'fly dubai' all over Europe/North Africa..

And with Alitlalia up the crap..

737 Milan basing anyone?? :E

[Capt Hair Y Balls]

Aspeta, instead of Milano basing you boys may be getting an AUH basing:E

[a345xxx]

I too would love a european base...however there is a big or rather huge difference between base and hub! Looks like for now we should just enjoy the sand pit......:ok:

[PositiveRate876]

it clearly states: "..... Emirates, the Dubai-based Airline etc.,etc.,etc. ..." so no mentioning of any EU base at all.

The term -based in this case refers to where the airline is headquartered. No matter how many pilot or cabin crew bases the airline opens, it will always be "Dubai-based" unless of course the rich brother buys it, and then it will be "Abu-Dhabi-based" ;)

[fatbus]

I think it would be JXB based (for both EK and EY) and still called Emirates regardless of which gov owns it, just think of the marketing.

[PositiveRate876]

The Emirates brand is much more established than Etihad and from a marketing perspective the name would definaly be retained in any merger.

Although I don't think one will happen until the latter part of next decade.

[camelbreath]

The strong denials from EK seem to indicate that nothing will happen in the immediate future regarding an EY/EK merger....I cant however understand why Dubai is pushing ahead with this low cost operation. (flydubai)...are they really in a position to start up another airline?

Another folly! :rolleyes:

[Willie Everlearn]

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Emirates's opening a new European base.
That's a good one lads. :ok:

[Willie Everlearn]

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Emirates's opening a new European base.
That's a good one lads. :ok:

About the only thing Emirates will be opening in the weeks ahead, if you believe the press, is a credit account with Abu Dhabi.
(purely speculative mind)

[meekg]

Just FYI. I fly in Italy and I just wanted to confirm that some flight attendants in my company have taken an interview in Rome for an eventual recruitment as Rome based crew.
I have no information regarding flight deck crew.

[fatbus]

I just flew with a guy how flew with a guy who knows a very connected local that said A330 base when the A333 comes and that EK will provide housing allowance and pay the tax in Italy.

[bigmountain]

Thats what everybody said or thought when Dubai announced its intentions of starting up a new airline in 1985. "Does Dubai Really need an airline?" Well it 2008 . Emirates flies to all corners of the world Has direct flights to all continents that have an internatioal airport that can handle widebodies. It flies to over 100 destinations . Has over 100 aircraft . Has over 100 B777-300Er on order , 58 A380 ( launch customer) 30 A330 30 A350 ( launch customer) Plans to have 499 in the forseeable future. Is in the Top Twenty airlines of the world.

The fact of the matter is that Emirates managment have closlely followed the growth of various low cost carriers (LCC) in the Gulf. Without diluting the the Emirates Branding and still not looking the other way when an opportunity presents itself, Emirates has decided to have a little brother to put 'a spanner' in the works for some of their narrow body carriers who were slowly eating into their regional markets. Emirates decsion to start up Fly Dubai with narrow body B737 ( ala Southwest) will serve them well . a) it will be managed well so as to allow for another profit stream b) it will take market share from other LCC operators without the need to compromise on the Emirates Branding of wide body aircrafts , first class ,champange service c) Provide for greater pax convenience and economy to feed into EKs large international network. d) Provide a base for the new Jebel Ali Airport.e) offer to pax a standard of service without compromising safety

BM

[Willie Everlearn]

BCCI, The bank that didn't add up. :confused:

How about Emirates, the airline that doesn't add up? :eek:

Good luck to them though. Fantastic in-flight service. :ok:

[halas]

Willie everstop posting twice.

halas

[fourgolds]

meek ,you believe the flight attendants !!! too funny mate

[Cyberbird]

our Bigmountain guy, sounds a bit too optimistic here ..

".. Has over 100 aircraft . Has over 100 B777-300ER on order , 58 A380 ( launch customer) 30 A330 30 A350 ( launch customer) Plans to have 499 in the forseeable future. Is in the Top Twenty airlines of the world" ...

Yeah, but Emirates does in fact NOT OWN most of these nice &shiny jets - most of them belong to Leasing companies - just look it up in the certrificates folders ...

and the business is right now going rather poor, as EK is offering the cabin crew now unpaid leave (once again) for the winter period, to save some badly needed Dirham, as their big neighbour in AUH, hasn't decided to bail 'em out yet, if the Credit Crunch-Crises @ DXB keeps worsening as expected :sad:- we'll see ...

[White Knight]

Cyberbird - how long you been in this business??? Most airlines operate leased aircraft, very few are owned outright by the operators....

If CC are being offered unpaid leave I think you'll find that's due to delayed aircraft deliveries!! Can you understand that there's a 'lead' time to new aircraft arriving? The company must then make sure these aircraft will be crewed - then machinists go on strike for 3 months and hey presto, lots of extra CC.. Business is not poor, believe me - especially now oil's below $50!!

[Old King Coal]

White KnightCyberbird - how long you been in this business??? Most airlines operate leased aircraft, very few are owned outright by the operators....... you took the words out of my mouth!

There's an excellent description of aircraft financing options available at: Aircraft Finance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_finance)

[fatbus]

Also have a look at some of the leasing companies

[Thylakoid]

Does bigmountain work for the Propaganda Ministry? :}

[fatbus]

Big Mountain = Brian M....maybe