Emirates continues to fly high despite travel downturn after Sept.11 tragedy

Flying Emirates, dubbed one of the best airlines in the world, is a pleasant adventure.

The comfortable Boeing 777-300 was our ticket to exemplary service during our business class flight from Jakarta to Dubai.

Emirates has no doubt played a significant role in boosting Dubai's tourism. Dubai has five million visitors a year and Emirates targets to help bring 15 million visitors in 2010.

Dubai draws both businesspeople and tourists, and Emirates itself is also attractive to travelers.

"We have a flexible and dynamic management and we offer competitive prices. Our strongest competitor is only Singapore Airlines in the Asia-Pacific rim," Emirates' Senior General Manager for Commercial Operations for West Asia and the Pacific Rim Keith A. Longstaff told our group of visiting Indonesian journalists in Dubai.

"But we cannot ignore Cathay Pacific."

He said competition among airlines had become tough, with several airlines experiencing financial woes in the last couple of years, particularly as people put off travel following Sept. 11.

"Garuda (Indonesia) has serious financial problems and Australia's Ansett has just been closed," he said.

"Many airlines have also cut back staff due to financial problems, but Emirates is recruiting more staff. We have also put in a US$15 billion order for new aircraft, including the Airbus A380."

Speaking of Emirates' business, Longstaff said Sept. 11 and the recent Mideast violence had not shocked Emirates, but he acknowledged that flights to the U.S. had been suspended.

"We're coming back (flying to the U.S.) by October," he said, adding that previous flights to the U.S. were just less than 7 percent of Emirates' total network.

"There has been no direct effect of the Sept. 11 disaster, it was not the demise of Emirates' business, especially in the Asia- Pacific rim," he said.

Emirates' latest data shows that the company has ordered five Airbus A330-220s, six Airbus A340-500s, eight Airbus A340-600s, 22 Airbus A380-800a and another 33 Boeing 777.

Emirates has a total of 38 aircraft, consisting of 22 Airbus A330-200s, one Airbus A310-300, one Airbus A300-600Rs, nine Boeing 777-200s, four Boeing 777-300s and one Boeing 747-400F, which fly to 56 destinations in 39 countries.

Longstaff said that Emirates was always optimistic about opening new flights.

"We had only one flight to the UK in 1966. Now we fly to seven lucrative routes a day.

"We fly to Jakarta, via Singapore and Colombo, four times a week. Starting next month we will add three more flights, from Jakarta to Dubai via Kuala Lumpur," Longstaff said, adding that Indonesia was still a prospective market.

He said that Emirates always looked to potential new markets and the service it provided.

"When we start flying (new routes), it means we open the market." (Soeryo Winoto)