Dubai – Mubasher: Emirates’ financial performance during the first six months of 2017 is forecast to be stronger than the same period of 2016, the airline’s president Tim Clark said Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference on aviation security in Dubai, the top official revealed that the group was planning to disclose its results for the second quarter and first half of 2017 in November.
Clark said that the Dubai-based airline’s first six months’ performance was likely to be “a lot better than this time last year”.
In 2016, Emirates suffered a 75% drop in profits in the first six months compared to the prior-year period, on the back of a stronger dollar and a drop in demand for the company’s tickets and in air travel in general.
Emirates’ top official highlighted that the US’ laptop and electronic device ban onboard flights coming from the Middle East and Arab countries had been “very disruptive”, resulting in a 15% to 18% decline in the airline’s loads.
Once the ban was lifted in July, however, operations “bounced bank”, he said, describing business with the US since the ban was lifted as “robust”.
The UAE’s national airline has over 140 flight destinations to over 80 countries across the globe.
The Dubai Airshow is also slated to take place next month.
