Emirates has appointed Jabr Al-Azeeby as new Divisional Vice President in the UK. A UAE national, Al-Azeeby has worked at Emirates for over 15 years and has previously served as VP for India, Pakistan, and more recently, VP of Commercial Operations in Saudi Arabia. He reports to Thierry Aucoc, SVP, Commercial Operations Europe. Al-Azeeby succeeded Richard Jewsbury, who has moved to take up the Dubai-based role of Executive VP Corporate and Customer Experience Planning. Over the past six years, Jewsbury led Emirates’ sales and service functions in the UK. “The United Kingdom is one of Emirates’ most important operations, and I’m looking forward to working closely with the team locally to continue the momentum of the past few years,” said Al-Azeeby. “The move to London is very exciting and I’m thrilled to have this opportunity as well as any challenges that arise.” It comes as the airline gears up to resume daily operations to Edinburgh starting from 4 November. The airline’s Edinburgh resumption marks Emirates’ eighth destination in the UK. Emirates currently serves the UK with 133 weekly flights on a fleet mix of A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. 

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Emirates will restart flight operations to Edinburgh later this year. Edinburgh flights return from 4 November 2024, complementing the airline’s current A380 daily flight to Glasgow. That represents 14 weekly flights to/from Scotland. Edinburgh flights from Dubai will be served on Emirates A350-900 aircraft in a three-class configuration, with 32 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 21 seats in Premium Economy. There are 259 seats in Economy Class. Customers can book flights on emirates.com, via travel agents or Emirates sales offices. Julie Bailey, UK Regional Sales Manager said: “Scotland is a very important passenger and cargo destination for Emirates and we’re very proud to be back in Edinburgh.” "Scottish customers can look forward to even more travel options with 14 weekly flights.”   

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Gulf carrier Emirates apologized to customers for the disruption caused by historic floods and the airline’s ‘far from perfect’ response. Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates penned an apology and outlined the current status at its Dubai air hub. “Our most sincere apologies to every customer who has had their travel plans disrupted during this time,” Clark wrote. The airline had to cancel nearly 400 flights and delay many more, caused by the UAE’s highest rainfall in 75 years. Widespread flooding across Dubai hampered customers, pilots, cabin crew, and airport employees reaching the airport, further impacting flight operations, Clark said. “We were clear on our two priorities: Look after our customers who have been impacted, and get our operations back on schedule.” “To manage impacted customers as a priority, we had to suspend check-in departing Dubai, implement an embargo on ticket sales, and temporarily halt connecting passenger traffic into Dubai.” “We deployed additional resources and contact centre teams with rebooking and put on additional flights to destinations where we identified large numbers of displaced customers,” he added. Clark said regular flight schedules were restored as of Saturday but is still working to ship 30,000 pieces of left-behind baggage to their owners. “It will take us some more days to clear the backlog of rebooked passengers and bags, and we ask for patience and understanding.” 

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Emirates has marked two decades of flying to Glasgow Airport. In the 20 years since the inaugural flight of 10 April 2004, Emirates has carried over 5.6 million passengers on 18,990 roundtrip Glasgow flights to and from Dubai. To mark 20-year milestone, Emirates flight EK027, served by a A380 superjumbo, arrived at Glasgow Airport’s stand 30, which is Scotland’s only triple airbridge. It was welcomed by a Bagpiper. Richard Jewsbury, Emirates Divisional Vice President in the UK, said: “We’re proud to have served Scotland via Glasgow for more than 20 years, connecting millions of passengers.” We have seen significant growth over the last two decades and forward bookings for this route were up 51% year-on-year in 2024.” “Glasgow remains a key market from both passenger and cargo.” Emirates currently operates a daily Glasgow flights to Dubai on the A380. Emirates’ network spans over 140 destinations, across six continents. 

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Emirates has become the first international airline to join The Solent Cluster, a southern England, UK initiative focused on low carbon investments. It is established to reduce CO₂ emissions from industry, transport and households in the South Coast of England. The Solent Cluster is a cross-sector collaboration of organisations, including manufacturers and engineering companies, regional businesses infrastructure operators and academic institutions. Emirates joins over 100 members as part of the Cluster, alongside founding members the Solent Partners (previously the Solent LEP), global energy provider ExxonMobil and University of Southampton. The Solent Cluster explores initiatives to secure existing jobs and produce low-carbon fuels for a variety of sectors, including aviation. The Solent Cluster has the potential to create asustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant with an estimated fuel production capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year. If approved, the plant could start operating in 2032. Jet fuel produced by the SAF plant could avoid emissions of 563 kilotons of CO₂ per year by producing fuel with 70% less emissions. Existing pipeline networks can supply the sustainable aviation fuel from the plant to major airports served by Emirates such as Heathrow and Gatwick. Emirates’ hope of securing UK-produced SAF with The Solent Cluster is in addition to several current SAF initiatives. It follows Emirates’ A380 and Boeing 777 demonstration flights using 100% sustainable aviation fuel in 2023. Also, Emirates has expanded its partnership with Neste for the supply of SAF in 2024 and 2025 for its operations in Amsterdam and Singapore. The airline also uplifted SAF for the first time at its hub in Dubai in October 2023.   

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Emirates has reported a spike in 2024 forward bookings for international travel to and from the UK. According to the airline’s forward booking data, the UK will see a strong rise in inbound travel from Dubai and other destinations in the Far East, Middle East, Africa, and Australasia. Bookings for Emirates’ flights from Hong Kong to the UK have risen 15-fold (1556%) year-on-year, while travel to the UK from South Africa (+53%), Thailand (+46%) and Malaysia (+29%), all show a sharp increase in demand. According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK welcomed 31.2 million overseas visitors in 2022, with a total spend of more than £26.5 billion. In the last year alone, the airline carried more than six million passengers to and from its seven UK gateways. London continues to be one of the most popular routes in Emirates’ network^]. Emirates currently operates 82 weekly flights at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted hubs, on a wide-body fleet of Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. Travel demand on the Dubai to Glasgow route also continues to grow, up by 51% year-on-year so far in 2024. Richard Jewsbury, Emirates Divisional VP in the UK, said: “We are proud to play an instrumental role in connecting the UK to our global network, and in boosting travel and trade.” Outbound travel from the UK is also anticipated to rise in 2024 with Emirates reporting a strong increase in forward bookings to Dubai, and onward to the Far East and Indian Ocean.

Emirates is further ramping up its use of sustainable aviation fuel. The airline has expanded its partnership with biofuel supplier Neste with an order for over three million gallons of blended Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel in 2024 and 2025. The sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which will be blended with conventional jet fuel, will power flights departing from Amsterdam Schiphol and Singapore Changi airports. Emirates’ expanded partnership with Neste represents the largest volume of SAF to be uplifted of any airline based in the Middle East and Africa to date. The blended SAF will comprise over one million gallons of neat SAF. This represents a blended ratio of over 30% neat SAF combined with conventional jet fuel. Before the end of this year, the airline will also uplift SAF for the first time from its Dubai hub. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said:"This is a milestone for Emirates and represents the acceleration of SAF procurement for our operations.” “It’s also one of the many initiatives we are focused on to reduce our carbon emissions." Earlier this year, Emirates, in partnership with Neste and other stakeholders, successfully completed the first 100% SAF-powered demonstration flight in the region. The airline’s first flight powered by SAF blended with jet fuel took place in 2017 from Chicago. Since then, the airline has also uplifted SAF for flights from Stockholm, and currently operates flights from Paris, Lyon and Oslo with blended SAF.

All 20,000 Emirates cabin crew will receive an Apple device to help streamline passenger service onboard. They will receive an iPhone 13 or iPad Air configured with Emirates apps. It is an Emirates initiative called ‘One Device.' Emirates has already invested more than AED32 million into the initiative and began handing out Apple devices a year ago. Today, more than 7,000 Emirates crew members use the iPhone across 450 daily flights. In the coming months, an additional 5,000 cabin crew will receive iPhone and iPads featuring new apps and features. Emirates in-house Service Delivery and IT teams conducted an extensive user research campaign with cabin crew before designing and building the custom-built apps. Feedback to date shows that Apple products are empowering cabin crew to feel better prepared to offer personalised service to passengers. Custom-built applications include an app to improve the inflight meal order-taking process in Business Class. Another app ensures cabin crew can access up-to-the-minute roster and flight information, view seat changes and upgrades, and an overview of which cabin crew are onboard. The One Device initiative also enhances cabin crew performance and safety standards with 24/7 support globally, including a team of specially trained experts at Emirates Dubai hub. Emirates Cabin Crew are permitted to use the iPhone for personal use and their private data is protected. The rollout of One Device has been supported by an in-person experience zone at Emirates HQ.

Emirates is once again Official Airline Partner of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. In India It kicked off on Thursday and runs through 19 November. Emirates has produced a playful video featuring Indian wicket-keeper batsman, Dinesh Karthik. The cricketer is seen enjoying the action live in the air on Emirates' inflight entertainment system, while seated in the comfort of Premium Economy. Seats in Emirates Premium Economy will be available on its routes to Mumbai and Bangalore from 29 October. Games are hosted across ten cities in India.. The final will be played on 19 November at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This is deemed to be the largest sports stadium in the world with a seating capacity of 132,000. As Official Airline Partner, fans of the sport travelling onboard Emirates can tune in to Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra to watch the action. Emirates will have a strong presence at the stadiums, with hospitality and ticketing rights, in addition to select in-stadium activations. Fans can follow #CWC23 as well as the ICC's Instagram and Facebook pages to see the Emirates Fly Better Moment of the Day, capturing the best catches, hit and run outs after each match. This tournament will be the first to be held solely in India and will see Dinesh Karthik making his commentary debut in a World Cup. Emirates has a long-standing relationship with the ICC and all its major events including the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, ICC Men's T20 World Cup, ICC Women's T20 World Cup and the ICC World Test Championship. The ICC partnership also sees Emirates featured on the official kit of the ICC Elite and International Panels of Umpires, having been the main sponsor of the Emirates Elite and International Panels of ICC Umpires since 2002. Alongside the Umpires, Emirates sponsors the Elite and International Panels of ICC Match Referees. Together with branding and media exposure to fans around the world, Emirates also transports umpires and referees to international events as the Global Partner of the ICC. Emirates has a long-standing partnership with Durham County Cricket Club in the UK, since 2010, and as title sponsor of the Durham Lancashire Emirates Trophy. The airline also began a ten-year naming rights sponsorship in 2013 for Emirates Old Trafford, home to Lancashire County Cricket Club. Emirates launched India flights in 1985 and now serves a total of nine destinations with 167 India flights per week including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram.

Emirates has inked an agreement with Shell Aviation for over 300,000 gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel at the airline's hub in Dubai.  The first SAF delivery is expected before the end of the year. It will be the first time SAF is supplied through the DXB airport fuelling system. This is the latest move forward by Emirates to reduce emissions. Emirates will track SAF delivery and its use data through Avelia, a blockchain powered SAF solution. Avelia is powered by Shell Aviation and Accenture, with support from Energy Web together with American Express Global business travel. Through Avelia, Emirates will purchase the physical SAF to help decarbonise its Scope 1 related emissions. The Scope 3 environmental attributes associated to the same SAF will be purchased by Shell Corporate Travel to help decarbonise its related business travel. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: "We are proud to work in partnership with Shell to make a SAF supply available for Emirates in Dubai for the first time." Sustainable aviation fuel can be blended with conventional jet fuel at a ratio of up to 50%, with significantly lower carbon emissions. In neat form, SAF can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 80%. Earlier this year, Emirates successfully completed the first 100% SAF-powered demonstration flight in the region. The airline's first ever flight powered by SAF blended with jet fuel took place in 2017.  

Gulf carrier Emirates is expanding its inflight meal preordering service far and wide. It is expanding to the Indian Ocean destinations of the Seychelles and Mauritius. There is a big expansion across Europe too. It is available on flights to and from Venice, Rome, Bologna in Italy, Warsaw, Vienna, Moscow, Istanbul, Dublin, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, Brussels and Madrid. It follows the successful inflight meal preorder initiative on UK routes. The service will be rolled out across more global routes in the coming months. It allows passengers in Business Class to preselect their main course up to 14 days in advance of their flight departure. It can also be ordered as little as 24 hours before. It allows passengers to secure their choice of meal and helps to reduce food wastage. Customers can browse the onboard menu on Emirates.com or on the Emirates app and then select their preferred meal. Onboard the aircraft, cabin crew will use digital devices to view the preordered selection and serve the passenger their choice of dish.

Emirates is ramping up capacity on Hong Kong flights. It announced a third daily flight to Hong Kong, starting from 1 November. The additional flight is on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and will support the growing demand for travel to the Far East. With the extra Hong Kong flight, services expand to 21 flights per week. Emirates will operate two daily direct flights to the city in addition to a third which is via Bangkok. The additional daily frequency will feature a three-class onboard service, in First Class, Business Class and Economy Class. Tickets can be booked now on emirates.com, the Emirates App, and travel agencies.