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Emirates Is Parking an Airplane a Day Because It Doesn’t Have Enough Pilots
JT Genter
Contributor
JT is a location-independent digital nomad traveling 250,000+ miles each year with his wife Katie.
May 03, 2018
•
4 min read
Emirates Is Parking an Airplane a Day Because It Doesn’t Have Enough Pilots
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A few weeks ago, we reported how a pilot shortage is forcing Emirates to cut flights. During the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, airline group CEO Tim Clark told reporters that the airline would be short-handed by about 100 to 150 pilots.
Emirates has generally tried to downplay the situations, with Sir Tim saying that the airline is "a tad short in pilots" but that the pilot numbers should be "alright by September or October."
However, unconfirmed reports paint a much bleaker picture: the airline plans to store 46 aircraft, due to a drop in demand as well as a pilot shortage. Emirates operates a fleet of 253 total aircraft, consisting solely of Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s. Storing nearly 20% of the fleet would be a massive reduction in capacity.
While that number, 46 aircraft, is not confirmed, our research shows that Emirates aircraft are starting to fly en masse into storage. Over the last five days, five Emirates aircraft have landed at Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) — which is primarily a cargo airport at this time — and haven't left.
| Arrival at DWC (local time) | Aircraft Type | Tail Number | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
02 May 12:47 PM | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-ENZ | 360 |
02 May 12:09 PM | Airbus A380-800 | A6-EDL | 517 |
30 Apr 2:40 PM | Airbus A380-800 | A6-EEZ | 519 |
29 Apr 12:28 PM | Airbus A380-800 | A6-EOO | 519 |
27 Apr 1:03 PM | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-EGZ | 360 |
Source for flight and aircraft location information: FlightRadar24. Source for seating capacity: PlaneSpotters
These five new additions join other Emirates aircraft already on the ground at DWC, which include at least:
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| Arrival at DWC | Aircraft Type | Tail Number |
|---|---|---|
1 Apr 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-EMT |
27 Mar 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-EGF |
4 Mar 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-EBI |
1 Mar 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-ENU |
28 Feb 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-EGO |
26 Feb 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-EBL |
26 Feb 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-ENT |
25 Feb 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-EGS |
30 Jan 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-ECT |
16 Jan 2018 | Boeing 777-300ER | A6-ECP |
Source for flight and aircraft location information: FlightRadar24.
There could be a simpler explanation for some of these aircraft being on the ground at DWC. Perhaps Emirates is performing retrofits or maintenance checks on some of these aircraft. However, the sheer number of aircraft currently at DWC seems disproportional to normal operations. TPG contacted Emirates about this situation but has not received a reply at the time of this publishing.
What does this mean for travelers? If you're flying Emirates soon, prepare for potential schedule changes due to reductions in frequencies. Some destinations that have multiple flights a day could see reductions in the number of flights per day, while once-daily flights could become 4-5x weekly flights. That said, this seems to be coming at a time of light demand for Emirates. So, the reductions in frequency might just increase the loads on flights rather than requiring that passengers be bumped.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
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- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
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Cons
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- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.