Emirates Country Manager Enda Corneille has said that with the arrival of new carriers, “the competition east and south is tremendous so the challenge for us is about continuing to do what we do” and says Emirates has good brand identity in the Irish market.
Speaking at a media briefing in Dublin’s Merrion Hotel, he also said that plans for a third daily service out of Dublin have been put on hold temporarily – due to issues at Dublin Airport.
Enda Corneille, Country Manager for Ireland, Emirates, at the airline’s trading update in teh Merrion Hotel, Dublin, May 23, 2018
“In hindsight it’s probably better to keep the two flights as the schedule is stable and find the two flights connect well as they arrive into Dubai at better times, hitting the sweet spot of all the connections. Flight 162 lands in Dubai at half past midnight, and then 2am out is Sydney.”
He points to pinch points at Dublin, notably in US customs and the early morning short-haul rush, but adds: “Our view is we can still grow in this market, we just need to find the right time and the right shape for that.”
And of the new entrants, Cathay Pacific into Hong Kong and Hainan into Beijing, he insists: “Don’t forget that the range of destinations is wide – Emirates would cover everything but if you look at Cathay and Hainan they’re overflying India and not participating in the India market. They’re barely participating in the Thai market… The battle will be Australia, there’s no doubt. That’s a market we know well, we’re strong on, and we have huge capacity – we have a lot of 380s on Australia and that’s a real selling point for the customer.”
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