Emirates UK chief 'not expecting any major issues this summer'

Jewsbury’s comments come amid a period of expansion for Emirates, both in the UK and overseas, with demand currently running to around 90% of pre-pandemic levels.

The Gulf carrier on Friday (24 March) confirmed plans to launch its first A380 service to Bali in June. This followed other recent commitments to restoring capacity to Australia, as well as ramping up UK services.

These include the return of the A380 to Glasgow from Sunday (26 March), which has been warmly welcomed by agents in Scotland, and to Birmingham from 1 July.

“We’re seeing very high levels of demand at, or above, pre-Covid levels in some cases,” Jewsbury said. “And because we’re a commercially-driven airline, we’re keen to meet the demand and grow back our capacity.”

To cater to surging passenger numbers, Emirates has launched a global recruitment campaign seeking to fill 400 pilot roles and between 5,000 and 6,000 cabin crew jobs.

According to Jewsbury, demand for both long-haul and short-haul will only continue to grow – even amid soaring costs of living – as consumers have “a great appetite to explore and have new experiences".

“People prioritise what they spend their money on,” he said. “They may choose to go out slightly less often or cut costs elsewhere, but travel will be protected.”

Jewsbury added the airline didn’t fear the competition from its newest competitor, Jeddah-based start-up Riyadh Air, and was focused on “building our business back".

“Demand for air travel is so strong and will continue to grow in the future,” he added. “The market is big enough for all of us.”