The Dubai-based carrier said on Wednesday it had been given 36 hours to comply with Heathrow’s order as the airport tries to ensure it can operate without further delays during the summer travel peak. Airlines and airports worldwide are struggling to cope with high demand this year after the lifting of pandemic travel restrictions due to staff shortages. Emirates, which operates six daily flights between Dubai and Heathrow alone, said: “LHR [London Heathrow] last night he gave us 36 hours to comply with the capacity cuts, a number that seems to come out of thin air. “Their communications not only dictated the specific flights on which we should fly paying passengers, but also threatened legal action for non-compliance. “This is completely unreasonable and unacceptable and we reject these requests.” He added: “Until further notice, Emirates plans to operate as scheduled to and from LHR.” Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 2:37 How bad were the flight cancellations? Heathrow announced this week that despite its own flight cuts – many under the government’s slot amnesty – it was imposing its own cap that would limit passenger numbers to 100,000 a day until mid-September. It amounts to a cut of 4,000 passengers. Heathrow has also asked its airline “partners” to stop selling additional tickets to help with this effort and minimize the impact on passengers and their own operations. The demand has sparked a furious backlash from airlines, with the head of an industry body accusing Heathrow of trying to maximize profits at their expense. That sentiment was echoed by Virgin Atlantic, while BA, which took full advantage of the slot amnesty, responded by agreeing to cut an extra six short-haul flights daily. Emirates added: “The bottom line is that LHR’s management team care about their airline travelers and customers. “All the signs of a strong travel recovery were there and for months, Emirates has been publicly vocal on the issue. “We have planned ahead to reach a state of readiness to serve customers and travel demand, including re-hiring and training 1,000 A380 pilots over the past year. “LHR chose not to act, not to plan, not to invest. Now, faced with an airlock situation due to their incompetence and inaction, they are pushing the full weight – of the cost and the struggle to sort out the mess – to airlines and travelers. “London Heathrow shareholders should scrutinize the decisions of the LHR management team.” Heathrow has been contacted for comment.
