Emirates may cut ticket prices if oil stabilises at current levels

Emirates Airline will reconsider its fuel surcharge on tickets prices over the next few months, if prices of oil stabilised at current levels, Emarat Al Youm has reported.

Quoting Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Senior Vice-President of Commercial Operations for the Gulf, Middle East, Iran and Central Asia for Emirates Al Mualla, the report stated that due to low oil prices in recent months, Emirates’ fuel costs dropped from 42% to around 33% of its total operational costs.

He pointed out that there are several factors determining ticket pricing policies, including currency fluctuations.

Al Mualla said $60 to $65 per barrel of oil in the long term would be acceptable in terms of air travel demand and world economy.

Emirates also confirmed that recorded a 15 per cent growth in passenger numbers in the Middle East, Iran and Central Asia during the 2014.

The company noted that 29 new aircraft will join the fleet within the next fiscal year (April 1- March 31, 2016).

The new aircraft will include 14 A380s and 15 Boeing 777s.

The company says it did not have any plans to restart flights to Baghdad and Sanaa and would wait for instructions from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
 

Flights and passengers

Al Mualla anticipated a 11% growth in passengers in the Middle East during the next financial year.

He added that India is still on top of the market for the carrier in the region, while Saudi Arabia is next in terms of number of weekly flights.

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