Emirates Formula: Italy, the A380, and plans for frequent flyers. Interview with country manager Flavio Ghiringhelli
360° interview with Emirates' number one in Italy. From the A380 to the sustainability of one of the world's leading carriers
Emirates
DXB
More flights over Italy, an increasingly attentive and quality in-flight experience, all the plans on the A380s-the giant of the skies on which Emirates continues to focus today and in the future-cabin renovations, plans for frequent flyers, and agreements with other carriers.
In this article:
In this detailed and comprehensive interview, Flavio Ghiringhelli, country manager Italy of the Emirates airline, tells about the present and future plans of one of the world's top carriers, which continues to renew its recognized quality and passenger services. Also and especially in Italy.
Emirates Italy
"Emirates has had a presence in Italy for more than 30 years. Since we opened the first gateway in Rome in 1992, we have worked to expand our network and today, in addition to Rome, we also have a gateway in Milan, Bologna and Venice. All of these connect Italy to the international hub in Dubai, from which all passengers can travel to more than 140 destinations in 77 countries.
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Are there plans to expand or increase frequencies?
"Over the years, our flights have also increased and Today we have 42 frequencies: two daily frequencies from Milan Malpensa, two from Rome Fiumicino, one from Venice and one from Bologna. Among the important milestones we can count are the return of the daily flight to Bologna since last June 1, bringing frequencies back to pre-pandemic levels, and the upcoming anniversary of the Milan-New York route, which turns 10 years old this year. At the moment we are working to restore all the frequencies we had before the pandemic And we expect to be back at full capacity as early as 2024."
What are the figures for the first months 2023 on the Italian market?
"In the first few months of 2023, we experienced strong travel demand and significant traffic flows, partly due to the coincidence of various holidays and long weekends, until the end of May. Also for Italy We record a strong incoming flow from foreign tourists who choose our country as a destination to spend their vacations."
What forecast for the rest of the year?
"We noticed a physiological slowdown in demand in June and then an increase in July and August; we expect a further increase in demand for these months because there is still a tendency to book flights as the departure date approaches."
Frequent flyers, agreements and lounges: what's new
Is there more news for the Skyward loyalty program? New lounges on the way?
"At the beginning of the year, Emirates Skywards, Emirates' and flydubai's loyalty program, reached a new high with more than 30 million registered members worldwide. Over the past two decades, the loyalty program has evolved and grown to become one of the most recognized and valued loyalty programs in the world. With industry-leading initiatives, innovative product offerings and more than 150 brand partners, Emirates Skywards continues to redefine the customer loyalty experience, both in the air and on the ground."
Is there any news on the way?
"In one of our last communications, we announced that all passengers in every class of travel subscribed to Emirates Skywards can enjoy a form of free connectivity. This means that every week an additional 30,000 Economy Class passengers will connect to the onboard wifi for free."
Following the agreements with United and Etihad: will there be changes for the Italian frequent flyer?
"These are two different agreements created to meet two different needs. The codeshare agreement with United was created to allow Emirates customers (including Italians) to have access to more than 150 U.S. cities through Chicago, Houston and San Francisco; to enjoy an enhanced customer offer, implemented with the issuance of a single ticket, Emirates baggage allowance and baggage transfer to the final destination."
With Etihad, on the other hand?
"The memorandum of understanding and interline agreement with Etihad. were instead created to provide travelers with additional itinerary options when visiting the UAE. In both cases, passengers have been able to gain tangible benefits: they can plan their itinerary with greater peace of mind and enjoy the in-flight services offered by Emirates. In addition, both agreements offer Skywards members the same benefits they get when flying with Emirates."
Plans for the A380
Let's go to a topic close to our hearts. On what routes does the A380 operate? Are there any new routes where it will be deployed?
"The A380, the giant of the skies, is our flagship product, and today Emirates is the only airline bringing this majestic double-decker aircraft to our country. Emirates' A380 flies through the gateways of Milan and Rome, while internationally it totally reaches more than 40 destinations worldwide and, By the end of this summer, the famous plane will serve nearly 50 destinations, restoring nearly the 90% of the pre-pandemic A380 network Of the airline."
So Emirates, unlike others, continues to believe in the giant of the skies.
"Emirates is the largest operator of Airbus A380s, with more than 90 aircraft currently in active service. To date, the airline is working on modernizing 63 of them with the goal of Introducing the new Premium Economy class. Recently, Emirates' A380 aircraft reached an important milestone at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, becoming the first scheduled A380 service in Indonesia. In April, it landed in Morocco for the first time."
On the case of the temporary unavailability Of the A380s on Milan-New York for the winter can you tell us more?
"Regarding the news you published a few days ago about the fact that the A380 will not fly on the Milan-New York route, I feel obliged to make a clarification. In the coming months, a Boeing 777-300 ER will be used instead of the A380 on this route because part of the company's fleet is currently the subject of the modernization program".
Is there anything new in terms of cabins or new services on board or ashore?
"Emirates has kicked off its plans to upgrade the entire cabin. internal 120 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, two of the largest types of commercial aircraft currently in service. An ambitious project, representing a multi-billion dollar investment to ensure Emirates' customers experience "flying better" in the coming years. Once the planned 67 A380s have been refurbished and are back in service, 53 Boeing-777s will undergo the modernization program."
And there is also a digital renewal plan in place....
"Emirates recently announced a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) within a futuristic, immersive digital journey to transform its employees' experiences as an industry pioneer. The two organizations signed an agreement to develop an immersive extended reality (iXR) platform and capability for Emirates Group cabin crew, new hires, and the broader industry partner community.
More and more attention, therefore, to the customer experience...
"These are steps forward to improve the in-flight experience and continue to ensure the high standards that have made Emirates famous. Suffice it to say that the airline has been awarded the "World Class Award" for safety, well-being, sustainability, service and inclusion at the Apex 2023 awards. Emirates continued to earn additional awards such as the "5 Star Global Official Airline Rating" and the "Passenger Choice Award for Best Global Entertainment". He also won two awards at the Ultras Awards 2022, including. "Best airline in the world" e "Best airline in the Middle East.".
Projects on sustainability and green transition
Besides the stop to the paper boarding pass from Dubai, are there any further plans from a sustainability standpoint?
"Emirates' environmental policy and strategy focus on three main areas: emission reduction, responsible consumption, and habitat and nature conservation. This is why we are all committed to environmentally responsible operations in all our activities, including our supply chain. We are exploring opportunities and pathways that will help achieve this goal, including the fleet renewal, operational efficiency of fuel, reducing the use of plastic on board and using recycled materials."
The green transition of aviation is a key path between now and the next decade...
"There is still a misperception today that airlines are too far removed from sustainability issues, when there is an entire sector that is working hard to contribute to the change in approach that is required of all of us and that we want to be a part of."
Can you give some examples?
"We recently presented, in collaboration with deSter, a new closed-loop recycling initiative to reduce plastic, in which millions of onboard items such as plastic trays, bowls, snacks, and casseroles will now be recycled at a local facility and turned into fresh, ready-to-use products for Emirates' meal service. Since we made a public commitment to reduce single-use plastic on board in 2019, we have managed to divert more than 150 million plastic items single-use each year. In addition, Emirates cabin crew will separate glass and plastic bottles for recycling in Dubai, diverting about 500,000 kilograms of plastic and glass from landfills by 2022. In August 2020, we also replaced paper menus in the Economy class with digital menus, saving 44 tons of paper per month. Last but not least, we use a dry cleaning technique to clean our aircraft, saving more than 11 million liters of water per year."
On the fuel side, however, what plans do you have in the pipeline?
"Emirates announced that it has allocated $200 million to fund research and development (R&D) projects focused on the Reducing the impact of fossil fuels in civil aviation. This is the largest commitment by an individual compared to any airline on sustainability, with funds to be disbursed over 3 years. Emirates will identify partnerships with leading organizations working on solutions in advanced fuel and energy technologies."
