Emirates defies Heathrow Airport’s order for airlines to cancel flights

Defying Heathrow’s management, Emirates said it won’t comply with a directive for airlines to cancel flights this summer to and from the London airport. Heathrow is trying to ease congestion at the airport.

“Emirates is a key and steadfast operator at LHR, having reinstated six daily A380 flights since October 2021,” the carrier said in a statement on Thursday. “From our past 10 months of regularly high seat loads, our operational requirements cannot be a surprise to the airport.”

On Tuesday, Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye wrote an open letter to flyers, explaining that it is capping the airport’s daily passenger capacity at 100,000 through Sept. 11. Kaye also asked airlines to stop selling summer tickets on flights to and from Heathrow, as daily bookings already exceed the cap.

Heathrow issued those orders while the airport attempts to address a rash of service problems this summer, including excessive security lines and widespread failures with baggage handling.

Emirates said Heathrow told the carrier on Wednesday evening that it must comply with capacity cuts within 36 hours. The airport, Emirates said, stated the specific flights on which the airlines should exclude passengers and threatened legal action for noncompliance.

Emirates asserts that Heathrow wants the carrier to deny seats to tens of thousands of passengers.

“Emirates believes in doing the right thing by our customers,” the airline said. “However, rebooking the sheer numbers of potentially impacted passengers is impossible with all flights running full for the next weeks, including at other London airports and on other airlines. Adding to the complexity, 70% of our customers from LHR are headed beyond Dubai to see loved ones in far-flung destinations, and it will be impossible to find them new onward connections at short notice.”

Heathrow didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday afternoon.

Emirates said that until further notice, it plans to operate as scheduled from Heathrow.

Share:

Jyotsna Ramani

Jyotsna Ramani is the author of Pinfare LLC. A writer by passion; she received her degree from Delhi University. A Delhi native, she is a lover of Reading Books, Travelling, sharing knowledge, currently residing in the borough she loves.

Most Popular

Categories

On Key
Related Posts

Chennai’s Best-Kept Secrets: Beyond the Beaches

Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state, is home to Tamil-speaking Dravidians and is the second-biggest state economy in the country. Its capital, Chennai, also referred

Don’t Miss These: India’s Top 5 Cities for First-Timers

India, one of the four ancient civilizations in the world, is a potpourri of diversified cultures and traditions. There are so many unique and amazing

Stop! Are You Making These Mistakes Booking Flights to India?

Planning a trip from the USA to India and booking cheap flight tickets is an exciting adventure. Still, it can be overwhelming, particularly for individuals

Cheap Flights to India for Holi: Best Deals for 2025

Holi, the vibrant Festival of Colors, is one of India’s most popular and significant events, celebrating the arrival of spring, the victory of good over

UAE lifts all COVID-19 related restrictions

Authorities in the UAE have further eased COVID-19 restrictions as of Nov. 7. The wearing of facemasks is now optional in most public spaces, including

United Airlines raises thresholds for achieving status in 2024

United Airlines MileagePlus members will need to fly or spend more to earn premier status for 2024.  Under changes announced Tuesday, MileagePlus members will need

Embrace the Cold: Hot Winter Travel Deals

Just A Call on Our Toll-Free Number

Save Upto 2 Days of Search

By providing information in this form you agree to Pinfare’s Privacy Policy

Enquire Now

By providing information in this form you agree to Pinfare’s Privacy Policy