Emirates ready for full throttle in 2022, says Chandana De Silva

Emirates Premium Economy  

As another year begins with the lingering shadow of the global pandemic, Emirates is ready to shift into top gear with quiet confidence and optimism, and the benefit of continued investments in product upgrades, sustainability initiatives and a re-built destination network, says aviation veteran Chandana De Silva, the award-winning airline’s Area Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives. Following are excerpts:

Chandana De Silva

Q:  As we begin 2022 after two years of the global pandemic, how does Emirates view the year ahead?

 I think it would be fair to say that we are quietly confident and optimistic about 2022. Granted, the pandemic is far from over and many challenges remain. But with the numbers of people getting vaccinated and receiving their booster shots growing each day, the outlook for air travel is continuing to improve. There will still be spikes in the number of COVID-19 cases in countries around the world, but I believe that governments, businesses and consumers now know what to do to manage the situation. The pandemic has taught us a great deal, and the lessons learnt will be relevant for many years, even after the situation returns to normal.

Q: How is Emirates positioned to face 2022? Do you expect to return to profit in the year ahead?

 Emirates is well-positioned to shift into top gear in 2022. We currently operate passenger services to more than 120 destinations, which is about 90% of our pre-pandemic network, and cargo services to over 140 destinations. In line with the easing of travel restrictions worldwide, we’ve ramped up flight frequencies across our network, deployed our iconic A380 aircraft on more routes, and we expect to return to profitability over the next 18 months. 

In Sri Lanka, we continue to see healthy passenger loads to and from Colombo. We currently operate 21 weekly flights, offering customers enhanced connectivity to Dubai and beyond.  

Q: Is Emirates working on improving its fuel efficiency?

 Yes, and that is driven by our commitment to the planet. Operating modern and fuel-efficient aircraft has always been central to Emirates’ business model, and we are committed to supporting initiatives that help minimise our CO2 emissions. We have already made great strides in fuel efficiency and conservation as well as operational advancements across different areas of our business. We have an ongoing, multi-billion-dollar commitment to passenger comfort, and to reducing our environmental impact. At the recent Dubai Airshow, we signed an agreement with GE Aviation to develop a programme that will see an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER, which by the way is the aircraft type we operate on flights to Sri Lanka, conduct a test flight using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Emirates is also a proud member of the Clean Skies for Tomorrow coalition, established by the World Economic Forum.

Q:  What is Emirates doing to build confidence among travellers?

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, Emirates led the industry on many initiatives to assure customers and build travel confidence. We were the first to introduce complimentary COVID-19 medical travel insurance for all customers, to fast-tracking refunds, offer generous waiver and rebooking policies, and help our loyalty program members retain their tier status and miles. In addition to enhanced hygiene protocols, Emirates also rolled-out several initiatives to enhance health and safety, and ease the customer journey. We were in fact the first airline to sign up to roll-out the IATA Travel Pass across our global network. We have also fast-tracked the installation of advanced biometrics technology at our Dubai hub for smooth processing and a contactless airport experience.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we have also continued to invest in product improvements, to ensure that Emirates’ signature services and products continue to win over customers and offer excellent experiences and value for travellers in all cabin classes. In November for example, we announced a major investment in a retrofit program that will see 105 of our modern wide-body aircraft fitted with our latest Premium Economy product, which has proved immensely popular since it was first introduced in January 2021. We are also considering installing a brand-new Business Class product on our Boeing 777 aircraft, with customised seats in a 1-2-1 layout.

At the end of the retrofit program, Emirates will have a total of 111 Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft offering Premium Economy seats, including six A380s with four cabin classes.

Q: How is Emirates faring in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka has always been an important market for Emirates. Colombo was in fact the fourth destination on the Emirates network, way back in April 1986, so we have served Sri Lanka for 35 years. In November we announced the addition of two more flights to Colombo to support the resurgence of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry as more key source markets relax travel restrictions. This increased direct flights between Dubai and Colombo to 14 a week, taking our weekly schedule to Sri Lanka to 21 flights a week, with the daily flight between Colombo and Male. Emirates SkyCargo is also playing a key role in connecting Sri Lankan exporters to global markets as well as in transporting COVID-19 vaccines and other essentials into Sri Lanka.