Situation with Emirates
 

Anybody from Emirates prepared to say what effect the current political situation is having on the carrier. Is the situation any more tense in Dubai? Have the load fators been affected much and have any routes or frequencies been cut? Any info would be appreciated.

[ 13 October 2001: Message edited by: high & fast ]

Perhaps someone from the sand pit could list a few websites that have UAE news or current affairs from an expat perspective please. I'll start off with www.expatdubai.com

Emirates monitor the situation on a day by day basis and some flights have been cancelled in the short term.

The management regularly assure us that long term plans haven`t changed and that is encouraging for all of us here.

Security wise, there have been isolated incidents in Dubai however it is generally still a safe and relaxed place to be. I am not aware of any families leaving as a result of anything occurring in Afganistan.

I flew with a recruitment captain the other day. He says there have been thousands of applications in the last month plus the approximately 1000 in the hold pool. It is obviously a fairly competitive environment at the present time.

Good luck to you. I hope the world turns so we can all feel secure in our present employment and those without jobs are quickly re-employed. :rolleyes:

Nil Defects, Thanks. What sort of " ioslated incidents" have occured?

Sit tight 11 new a/c. being delivered from Jan 2002 and a massive order for 22 a/c. being anounced by the ruler at the air show in 2 weeks. Mix of B777's and A380's EK are going to need some more cres to fly this lot. They must be one of the few airlines ordeing new a/c.

ITMAn
Get real.
The massive order is not new and if there is an Air Show (?) any announcement will be a rehash of old news!
Anyone going to the Air Show or will it be as unsuccessful as the computer fair?
Yanks going to be there in droves?
EK is haemorraging at present and DXB tourism has largely collapsed. Its going to take some time before the Russian ladies have enough customers coming back.

Just come back from GITEX, busy but nothing like previous years. Think the top nobs in these parts have head in sand syndrome.

As for incidents, it's difficult to give specifics as the press is kept on tight reigns but last week there were reports of shots been fired in the air in Dubai outside a mosque in support of Osama. Otherwise nothing to efect the drinking/sunbathing :cool:

Heard a story about a shooting outside the Hard Rock Cafe Friday last. Two Americans, but was not reported as such. Anybody confirm or deny it?

Good idea boys. Why not just spread some more unsubstantiated rumours and hurt the only airline still hiring pilots.

Duh!

[ 17 October 2001: Message edited by: Timber ]

Shots were fired into the air by one lone guy outside the hard rock cafe. He has been caught and there are no casualties.Thats it.

[ 19 October 2001: Message edited by: paddle ]

Very little untoward to report from this part of the sand-pit (RUH) either. Life continues as normal (well, you know what I mean :D ). Going to be busy this week in my spare time doing some more landscaping in the garden, so I certainly don't have a suitcase ready packed :p

What happened to the A380. At the airbus site one can download present backlog orders. At the Emirates line there are no A380 on order??????

We are doing just fine here so far. The cabin crew are requested to take unpaid leave to keep the company going so we can save cost somehow. The company have kept us informed so far and it has been comforting.

So far so good, so I really hope that things will get better soon. This is getting way out of hand.

Let's enjoy the lovely weather with springtime like winter here :D :p

Hey Timber,

The only way to find out anything over here is by rumour!! Lets just say I'm not gonna add anymore 'cos big brother IS watching.

FT

Will EK also ask pilots to take leave or even fire pilots.

What are your thoughts on the upcomming airshow? will it be empty? will EK order new aircraft, as a sign of strenght?

I had an interview for EK on the 22nd of September for cabin crew. I made it to the final stage....and they just sent me an email saying all recruitment is on hold and unlikely to proceed in the immediate future :(

Just hang in there Firewall. They are trying to improve things here first by trying to retain all their present staff. We really do not know how much worse it can get or what else will effect us here. :rolleyes:

But since you made it to the final stage, the moment they are prepared to have more crew, they will surely call you. I wish you the best of luck. I've been here nearly four years now, and I'm pretty worried too. :eek:

I hope no retrenching of staff is required. The chairman is really trying to avoid that, as far as we know.

You just take care now and pray for the best for the rest of us here too.

ITman and Baby Boo I hate to burst your bubble but if you think that things will continue the way they were going, you are, at best dreaming (no disrespect intended). EK like all other airlines are suffering from the present situation with reduced load factors. The immediate future holds downsizing and not expansion. I would assume that the dramatic reduction of tourism in Dubai will have a major effect on EK as well as other GCC airlines.
I'm affraid the hiring booms are a thing of the past, at least for the foreseeable future.

Interesting comments CaptA320.

I am currently on the fence as to what will happen at EK. On the surface we have Sheik Mo' telling the world it is business as usual in DXB, on the other hand the rest of the world is seeing the downturn. Normally I would totally agree with you in the "real world" but in the case of EK should the rulers decide it will be "business as usual" their pockets are deep enough to make that happen (perhaps unlike our cousins in Bahrain?). I think the DXB airshow will be interesting both in the aircraft orders (if there are in fact any ordered that don't drop bombs!) and if so if EK makes any moves. Still 11 on order for delivery for 2002 but I wouldn't be surprised to see that change. Interesting times we live in!

DUNE - you are right. The airshow on NOV 4 will a very good indicator to the future of EK. Still, noone has answered me, why there are no A380 orders for EK on the Airbus homepage....was it all a PR gimmick?