Things are looking better after two years – Emirates CEO

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group has said two years into the pandemic, things are looking much better now.

Speaking to CNN’s Richard Quest, Sheikh Ahmed said: “If we think about the two years we have been in the pandemic now, things are looking much better. Took us two years because first of all, we had to start with the vaccines – vaccinating most of the population, more than 92 per cent of the UAE population.”

“Talking about the company, we also have more than 90 per cent of the total staff vaccinated. We have also to think that we have to take care of ourselves, and also the people around us, our families and we have to follow the rules.”

When quizzed on how does he view Emirates post-pandemic being different to the airline pre-pandemic, strategically? “If we did it before the pandemic, what is the reason we can not do it after the pandemic. We have to be fast.”

⁦@HHAhmedBinSaeed⁩ talking to ⁦@richardquest⁩ about #Dubai 2 years since the pandemic#Emirates #mydubai #businessdubai #visitdubai https://t.co/iPh0iXrRhu

— Issam Kazim عصام كاظم (@IssamKazim) January 12, 2022

On the prospect of merging Emirates and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and its viability post-pandemic, Sheikh Ahmed responded: “If you are talking about the UAE and you want to merge the two, how many airlines around the world exist in one country? Competition is healthy, its good.”

“We are not standing in one place – the population is growing, the business is growing, the surrounding area and what we can do. This is what we proved that even during the pandemic, look at what we have achieved. If we are talking about Emirates, we moved vaccines, cargo and perishable goods….people. And that has been done because we have an airline [that is] strong, resilient that can do its job. And we are still going to prove to the world that we can do it. We did it before and we will do it after the pandemic.”

“Dubai is the place. Dubai is the brand. Look how many people have flocked to Dubai during the pandemic because we kept the country open, with rules and regulations.”

“We are in a world in which we have to change all the time,” he concluded.

Emirates is planning to deploy more A380s as demand hikes, Sheikh Ahmed said in November.

Read: Emirates plans to deploy up to 60 A380s by year-end – Sheikh Ahmed

Emirates Group reported a 2021-22 half-year net loss of Dhs5.7bn ($1.6bn), marking an improvement from Dhs14.1bn ($3.8bn) loss for the same period last year.

Read: Dubai’s Emirates Group reports $1.6bn half-year net loss