Emirates has UAE backing to retaliate against Schiphol contraction plans, CEO says

Emirates and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will oppose the Dutch government if the airline is forced to operate fewer flights at Schiphol Airport due to the Cabinet's proposed downsizing. Emirates CEO Tim Clark warned about this during an aviation conference in Amsterdam.

The United Arab Emirates has very strong legal representation in the Netherlands, Clark warned. If the Dutch government makes such a decision, Clark said a Cabinet advisor has to point out to officials that the government may face lawsuits domestically, and retaliatory practices by other governments and their airport coordinators, he said at the Sustainable Aviation Futures Congress at the Hotel Okura.

He noted that something similar already happened this year when the American airline company, JetBlue, was in danger of losing its recently acquired take-off and landing slots at Schiphol due to the contraction plans. JetBlue then lobbied the United States government to threaten to limit KLM's landing rights at American airports in retaliation. The downsizing at Schiphol was delayed shortly after this.

Clark warned that other governments, like the United Arab Emirates, could also retaliate. If government's obstruct foreign airlines, then their national airline must also face reciprocal action, he argued.

Clark thinks governments should be more careful when it comes to reducing the number of flights. "There is nothing wrong with trying to reduce loud noises, air pollution, and emissions, but you need to be smart in how you do it." He added that Schiphol has added importance as it is one of the largest international hubs in the world. The airport is the second largest in the European Union, behind Charles de Gaulle in Paris.

The airline currently flies from Schiphol to Dubai and back around two to three times a day. The Emirates CEO thinks it would be very damaging if the airline would have to operate fewer flights from Schiphol. However, he predicted that this will not actually happen in the end.

If Emirates loses take-off and landing rights, the airline will use larger aircraft on the remaining flights. He said that if Emirates loses out on those slots, they will instead use their Airbus A380 fleet instead of the Boeing 777.

The A380 is the largest passenger plane in the world. Depending on the configuration, the Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft can carry between 354 and 442 passengers per flight. By contrast, the airline's A380 can fly up to 519 passengers, including 14 in First Class and 76 in Business Class, according to the Emirates website.