FILE PHOTO. Reuters
Doha: Emirates airlines are reducing the number of aircraft in their fleet due to various factors like lower demand, pilot walkouts, weak loads etc.
This was disclosed by aviation expert Alex Macheras on his twitter account.
The Dubai-based airline is sending the passenger jets to be stored at DWC airport, due to low demand,” he tweeted with the number of aircraft removed from the fleet each month.
According to Alex they stored 11 Boeing 777 and 1 A380 in April. In May they will remove 14 777s and 6 A380s and in June 2018 the figures will be 11 777s and 3 A380s.
The airline is not only facing dip in demand, but they are also facing severe pilot shortage as it was reported in media that pilots are leaving the airline in the hundreds.
Earlier last month Bloomberg reported that “a shortfall of 100 to 150 pilots compels Emirates to pare frequencies to destinations including Fort Lauderdale and Miami during the looming high season for global travel. Cuts will also extend to several European and Asian routes.”
Airline President Tim Clark had said “We’re a tad short in pilots,”
“Yes that’s true & should be noted that a large, and growing number of pilots are resigning from #Emirates due to (what they describe as) ‘poor working conditions’,” Alex said in reply to a pilot’s tweet.
“Alex is right. The current numbers of pilots leaving is unprecedented and unsustainable. I know, I’m one of them,” a twitter user Trent tweeted.
