New Emirates Edinburgh link to boost salmon exports (but there’s a catch)

The Scottish capital got a brand new daily air link operated by carrier Emirates on Monday. But then the carrier immediately cut its flights. 

The Emirates year-round service touched down yesterday and in true Caledonian style the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft occasion was greeted with a piper and water canon salute.

The flight will bring a much needed inaugural service to boost salmon exports among other services.

Pilot availability crunch
The trouble is that Bloomberg has reported that the United Arab Emirates carrier made the announcement that flights (to began Monday) will be cut to five a week from the end of this month through next May amid a plane and pilot availability crunch. They’ll expand to seven again only from Dec. 10 until mid January for the busy Christmas and New Year travel period.

“It’s temporary,” Hubert Frach, the company’s head of commercial operations for the Americas and Europe, talking to the publication. “You have to match so many things. Fleet availability, operational requirements. Even cockpit crew, cabin crew availability and aircraft type can mean that you have to reshuffle.”

Maximum “agility”
Edinburgh, which Emirates is serving with Boeing Co. 777 jets isn’t being singled out for reduced frequencies, Frach said, with “adjustments” becoming more common as Emirates seeks maximum “agility.”

Edinburgh authorities worked for a decade to attract Emirates for a decade after Glasgow secured a double-daily service in 2004. The airline’s cargo operation carries tonnes of salmon around the world every year.

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