One of the biggest airlines flying in and out of London Heathrow has flatly refused to cut passenger numbers as the airport owner had instructed.
Emirates called the demand “entirely unreasonable and unacceptable”.
The giant carrier flies a dozen A380 superjumbo aircraft between Heathrow (LHR) and Dubai each day, carrying around 6,000 passengers.
On Wednesday the airport made an unprecedented request for airlines to reduce the number of passengers on departing flights – with a daily cap of 100,000 outbound travellers up to and including 11 September 2022.
But Emirates has flatly rejected compliance with “a figure that appears to be plucked from thin air”.
In its first public statement, Emirates revealed what had been going on behind the scenes at the UK’s busiest airport.
The airline complained it was “highly regrettable that LHR last evening gave us 36 hours to comply with capacity cuts” and showed a “blatant disregard for consumers”.
Its statement said: “Their communications not only dictated the specific flights on which we should throw out paying passengers, but also threatened legal action for non-compliance.”
When the airport made its demand to airlines to cut passenger numbers, it cited “challenging conditions at Heathrow that have made it difficult to maintain the quality of service for which we are world-renowned”.
The airport said: “We have started to see periods when service drops to a level that is not acceptable: long queue times, delays for passengers requiring assistance, bags not travelling with passengers or arriving late, low punctuality and last-minute cancellations.”
But Emirates said: “Our ground handling and catering – run by Dnata, part of the Emirates Group – are fully ready and capable of handling our flights. So the crux of the issue lies with the central services and systems which are the responsibility of the airport operator.
“They wish to force Emirates to deny seats to tens of thousands of travellers who have paid for, and booked months ahead, their long-awaited package holidays or trips to see their loved ones.
“And this, during the super peak period with the upcoming UK holidays, and at a time when many people are desperate to travel after two years of pandemic restrictions.”
Under air passengers’ rights rules, any traveller whose flight is cancelled is entitled to be flown on any airline that can take them on the original day of travel. But Emirates said: “Re-booking the sheer numbers…
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