We've had notification that the new DXB - EDI flights is already going down to 5 a week and no, not due to DXB's runway closure next spring.
Forward bookings not up to plan ?

For how long has this flight been in operation as well as available for ticket purchase?

The flight doesn't start until the 01 October and I think it's a bit too early to predict the future passenger figures let alone the yields.

Looking forward I have no doubt that the addition of EDI to Emirates U.K. route network will be a successful one.

Not been heavily advertised, effects of EY withdrawal unknown, strategic planning around A380 routes - EDI will do fine once embedded in. Though several colleagues knew nothing about route launch (which was announced over 5 months ago). It is interesting however the ridiculously cheap fares and AirMiles giveaways. Not sure what came of the plans for EK lounge in new EDI extension.

EDI is my local airport and I wasn't aware this is happening. If an aviation fan like me doesn't know, there's something wrong with the publicity.

To be honest, I'm not sure why even EK decided to slam a weekly service with a 77W into EDI anyways. So I'm not surprised to see it drop to 5.

Wasn't Etihad 5 weekly? Goodness knows why EK pitched in at daily with bigger aircraft compared to the A330. That should have told EK about the size of the EDI market if EY couldn't hack it. Pretty sure its the first time for EK being less than daily on UK service (outside of the DXB runway works) since launching and building up MAN from 1990?

I've booked to fly EDI-BKK next month.... Normally fly from MAN, but for my dates EDI was the cheaper option. EK prices were a lot higher than QR at the time I booked.

Pilot shortage
Pilot shortage
Pilot shortage
The seniority list has dropped by net 78 since May. Lots are bailing- the pilots have taken an effective pay cut of 18% since 2010.
They have had enough. Real lack of experience joining the ranks causing further concern.

I visited EDI this past August and saw billboards for this new EK service all around the airport, even saw some ads in town.

I had no idea about this. Something as big as Emirates launching EDI would be been something I'd know about! Like ScottishDavie, something must be wrong advertising wise if local av geeks had no idea.

Dublinspotter wrote:

I had no idea about this. Something as big as Emirates launching EDI would be been something I'd know about! Like ScottishDavie, something must be wrong advertising wise if local av geeks had no idea.

it was discussed here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1393641

ScottishDavie wrote:

EDI is my local airport and I wasn't aware this is happening. If an aviation fan like me doesn't know, there's something wrong with the publicity.

Are you seriously claiming to be an Edinburgh local AV fan who hasn't heard Emirates are opening up a DXB service in October or do you mean you didn't hear it's going to five days already ?

Dublinspotter wrote:

I had no idea about this. Something as big as Emirates launching EDI would be been something I'd know about! Like ScottishDavie, something must be wrong advertising wise if local av geeks had no idea.

Seriously ? Have you been overseas on some tiny unoccupied island for six months ? It's been discussed to death both here and on various AV message boards ever since. Let alone the huge billboard ads popping up in the Edinburgh area.

Well Norwegian are closing their EDI base. Any possible connection? Perhaps the city is too small to have this number of route choices...?

Yes it looks more like an EDI tax issue than an EK issue , DY is just further evidence ...

APD is a UK airport wide tax yet seems to getting bandied about by various airlines as an excuse for shutting down routes, particularly in Scotland where Ryanair have slashed the number of GLA routes for next summer (but have just announced reinstating at least some of them), now Norwegian and Emirates at Edinburgh although I've yet to hear any talk of APD as a reason in the EK case. As for DK, I expect they may well be applying resources elsewhere, South American ambition springs to mind and I don't really know of many who fancy crossing the pond in a 737 to airports they've never heard of either, certainly not in my neighbourhood. Meanwhile rumours persist of one of the two daily GLA Emirates flights going A380 next Spring.

JannEejit wrote:

APD is a UK airport wide tax yet seems to getting bandied about by various airlines as an excuse for shutting down routes, particularly in Scotland where Ryanair have slashed the number of GLA routes for next summer (but have just announced reinstating at least some of them), now Norwegian and Emirates at Edinburgh although I've yet to hear any talk of APD as a reason in the EK case. As for DK, I expect they may well be applying resources elsewhere, South American ambition springs to mind and I don't really know of many who fancy crossing the pond in a 737 to airports they've never heard of either, certainly not in my neighbourhood. Meanwhile rumours persist of one of the two daily GLA Emirates flights going A380 next Spring.

Yes, where is Hartford? or Ware is Hertford even...?

What World Ranger said, frequencies will continue to be cut as pilots leave and the 380 fuel costs mount.
The recent plan to take SAA pilots have been scuppered by QR who offered a better financial and family package and so all the SAA pilots who were headed to EK are now at QR.
A net total of 20 less pilots per month continues with most being experienced Capts and a significant number of trainers.

Can anyone shine light on the bookings of this service so far? I was under the impression that the GLA traffic would reduce due to the fact that EDI is starting.

If all due to pilot shortages (which is not really a new issue since launch of this particular service), its interesting to see why they choose to cut this new launch route (against significant compeition in a new market), rather than ease services established and maintained with multiple frequencies and capacity to trim. Why also is the route offering exceptionally cheap fares and also now offering very lucrative incentives in Triple Skywards Miles ?

TC957 wrote:

We've had notification that the new DXB - EDI flights is already going down to 5 a week and no, not due to DXB's runway closure next spring.
Forward bookings not up to plan ?

Who is "we"?

Routesonline already said about it's temporary reduction. See this link below.
https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/ai ... f-27sep18/

Still not clear why reduction so early in a routes launch

EvanWSFO wrote:

TC957 wrote:

We've had notification that the new DXB - EDI flights is already going down to 5 a week and no, not due to DXB's runway closure next spring.
Forward bookings not up to plan ?

Who is "we"?

Travel Company I'm with.

JannEejit wrote:

Meanwhile rumours persist of one of the two daily GLA Emirates flights going A380 next Spring.

That goes along with rumour that Emirates are paying a chunk of work currently going around gates 29,30 and 31 at GLA (Emirates usually use gate 30) where they are extening the terminal and adding a double airbridge which should be all complete by next spring and the fact the airport has made more space for people at immigration.

KingB123 wrote:

Can anyone shine light on the bookings of this service so far? I was under the impression that the GLA traffic would reduce due to the fact that EDI is starting.

You could consider it as the 3rd daily GLA service that was being touted for a while. GLA is one of their best performing UK regional routes and current investment in infrastructure there and a potential A380 operation from Spring 2019, would suggest that will continue.

by738 wrote:

Still not clear why reduction so early in a routes launch

Because not enough seats sold, despite certain EDI fans claiming the GLA flights were being propped up by Edinburgh based travellers. It's entirely possible EDI is not the Scottish commercial aviation 'centre of the universe' it's management would like it to be ?

ScottishDavie wrote:

EDI is my local airport and I wasn't aware this is happening. If an aviation fan like me doesn't know, there's something wrong with the publicity.

Dublinspotter wrote:

I had no idea about this. Something as big as Emirates launching EDI would be been something I'd know about! Like ScottishDavie, something must be wrong advertising wise if local av geeks had no idea.

Just by the by, I was in Edinburgh on Monday this week (the 24th), and this is currently the front door of EDI. To be fair, it is quite subtle...

jomur wrote:

JannEejit wrote:

Meanwhile rumours persist of one of the two daily GLA Emirates flights going A380 next Spring.

That goes along with rumour that Emirates are paying a chunk of work currently going around gates 29,30 and 31 at GLA (Emirates usually use gate 30) where they are extening the terminal and adding a double airbridge which should be all complete by next spring and the fact the airport has made more space for people at immigration.

I didn't realise the work when I passed through GLA last month and now I understand why certain part of the glazed window near the end of the international pier was covered up and inaccessible. It would be fantastic if EK finally send their A380 to GLA. It has been quite a long time since the last EK service upgrade at GLA. Despite the competition from both EY and QR from EDI in recent years, EK still manage to record 9% increase in total number of passengers at GLA last year, compared with 2016 figure (466,953 vs 428,098).

JannEejit wrote:

by738 wrote:

Still not clear why reduction so early in a routes launch

Because not enough seats sold, despite certain EDI fans claiming the GLA flights were being propped up by Edinburgh based travellers. It's entirely possible EDI is not the Scottish commercial aviation 'centre of the universe' it's management would like it to be ?

I don't get the bitterness. Of course EDI management want their airport to attract as many passengers as possible and be the most used airport in Scotland. Which they're strongly succeeding in.

TC957 wrote:

We've had notification that the new DXB - EDI flights is already going down to 5 a week and no, not due to DXB's runway closure next spring.
Forward bookings not up to plan ?

From what date?

The Emirates website currently allows bookings for EDI directly to DXB 7 days a week, between October and August.

I know it would be pushing it on the B38M, but why not have Flydubai begin as a "route starter"? (This is where Emirates could really use smaller wide-body capacity as well, such as the Boeing 787-9.

emiratesdriver wrote:

What World Ranger said, frequencies will continue to be cut as pilots leave and the 380 fuel costs mount.
The recent plan to take SAA pilots have been scuppered by QR who offered a better financial and family package and so all the SAA pilots who were headed to EK are now at QR.
A net total of 20 less pilots per month continues with most being experienced Capts and a significant number of trainers.

Wow. I didn't know that QR offered a better package and the SA guys went to QR instead of EK. I thought they wanted to stay in ZA.

greg85 wrote:

TC957 wrote:

We've had notification that the new DXB - EDI flights is already going down to 5 a week and no, not due to DXB's runway closure next spring.
Forward bookings not up to plan ?

From what date?

The Emirates website currently allows bookings for EDI directly to DXB 7 days a week, between October and August.

From Galileo GDS...No Tues / Wed flight 28 Oct - 5 Dec, 15 Jan - start of DXB runway works when frequency further reduced to 3 a week.

The inaugural flight took off earlier today. Anyone with inputs on the loads?

xwb777 wrote:

The inaugural flight took off earlier today. Anyone with inputs on the loads?

F 7 J 29 Y 133

xwb777 wrote:

The inaugural flight took off earlier today. Anyone with inputs on the loads?

Looking at our GDS, most booking classes in all cabins are available on all flights including today's inaugural outbound from EDI are showing available. So not a great indication for high flight loads.
Perhaps the lead-in time from the announcement of the service was a bit too short to build up forward bookings.
But looking at GLA-DXB & NCL-DXB this week, it's a similar situation for reservations.

The inaugural EK23 from DXB operated by A6-EGC just landed at EDI at 2:37pm local time. I hope someone with video or pictures of the arrival will be able to post them here later. The return flight EK24 is scheduled to leave at 8:15pm and I wonder why the aircraft has to spend nearly six hours on tarmac. It is a bit unusual for EK to park their aircraft so long at any UK airports, even they could turn around A380s in shorter time at LHR, LGW, MAN and BHX.

Was there to watch it land have photos but can’t work out how to put them on directly from my phone

xijiayu wrote:

The inaugural EK23 from DXB operated by A6-EGC just landed at EDI at 2:37pm local time. I hope someone with video or pictures of the arrival will be able to post them here later. The return flight EK24 is scheduled to leave at 8:15pm and I wonder why the aircraft has to spend nearly six hours on tarmac. It is a bit unusual for EK to park their aircraft so long at any UK airports, even they could turn around A380s in shorter time at LHR, LGW, MAN and BHX.

The Stansted flight also spends almost 7 hours sat at the airport, arriving just after 14:00 and leaving at 21:10. I imagine it allows an arrival at DXB which allows good connections.

Found the landing on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3jtEHn6Bcg

Presumably service could affect the Hainan service for east/far east connections? Though not sure how many Chinese tourists transit through ME3 hubs

TC957 wrote:

Perhaps the lead-in time from the announcement of the service was a bit too short

How much longer would be reasonable though... it was announced in April almost 6 months ago.