Latest news with #TimClark
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
IndiGo CEO backs government policy as Emirates seeks more seats
NEW DELHI: As Indian carriers prepare to increase their share in international airtravel in and out of the country, India's largest airline IndiGo has reacted sharply to Emirates' long-standing demand for more flying rights for Dubai. "First of all, it's called a bilateral agreement, right? That means two sides have to agree on something. If one side makes more and more noise, it doesn't mean you're more and more right. It's not that if one side says, 'now we do it' - that's not how it works," IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said at the IATA AGM on Monday, without naming Emirates. On Sunday, Emirates Airlines president Tim Clark said: "We've been stuck with 65,000 seats in each direction (Dubai-India and vice-versa) for just over 11 years now. Fifteen years ago, the population to Dubai was about 25 lakh. This is over 80 lakh. Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities and 40% of the ethnic mix is of Indian origin." "If you look at the way the Indian community has moved to and from Dubai over the last 10 or 11 years, you can see the scale of what is not happening by not giving seats to Emirates or wherever else it may be. Indian govt has a policy at the moment of restricting capacity of foreign carriers into India, and they have their reasons for that," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain (Search Now) Knee Pain Treatment | Search Ads Undo Elbers also said Monday, "There were a massive number of flights into India and no operations by Indian operators. So, for a govt to say, 'First let's use the existing pool of traffic rights, and then look at new ones,' I think that's a completely fair and balanced approach." Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Arabian Business
14 hours ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
Emirates boss Clark exudes confidence in Boeing turning things around
In a wide-ranging chat with journalists at the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Tim Clark, Emirates President, said the Dubai-based airline sees positive signs in Boeing's ability to deliver. In an interview with the Financial Times in February last year, Clark had said that Boeing was in its 'last chance saloon' over manufacturing quality. Clarke also said at the IATA that Emirates is planning to keep its fleet of Airbus A380 planes, the biggest in the world (over 115 planes), in operation until the end of the next decade. Airbus said it would stop manufacturing the A380s because of slim orders. Clarke touched upon the tariff situation in the US, saying it was too early to comment on it and that Emirates has been enjoying healthy passenger numbers, at a good price, through the summer. Greater resolve at Boeing According to a Reuters report, Clark said he was seeing a greater degree of determination from Boeing to resolve its many issues under a recently appointed CEO, and that the management had indicated cautious optimism over its recovery in discussions with Emirates. Last month, during the official visit of US President Donald Trump to the Middle East, it was announced that Etihad, the Abu Dhabi-based national airline of the UAE, had ordered for 28 wide-body Boeing aircraft with GE engines for a total of US$14.5 billion. A couple of days before that, while the President was in Qatar, Boeing received a US$96 billion worth of order for its widebody 777X and 787 airplanes from Qatar Airways. Clark told reporters: 'I'm quite impressed with the energy, the concern they have about getting that done … that's why I was cautiously optimistic because they weren't just talking the talk, they were walking the talk.' In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Clark praised the leadership of Boeing's new CEO, Kelly Ortberg. 'Boeing will be required to produce aircraft in the manner they always used to. They are safe to operate. They're well-produced. They have quality control throughout the whole process,' Clark added. 'I can see a high degree of determination [and] earnestness to get the job done. I know Kelly is working really hard to try and get a production line at the shop floor level with both him and Stephanie (Pope, the executive vice president of the Boeing Company and president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes), engaged in Seattle. They're not in Chicago. They are watching this very closely. 'So, part of the deal is, make our aircraft, your aircraft, really good, as they always used to be, and we will try and make it easier. I'm not saying we're going to cut corners.' On A380s, the world's largest plane that has the capacity to carry over 800 passengers every flight, Clark told Bloomberg that the airline is seeking to extend the lifespan of the aircraft. This includes introducing one more upgrade to the aircraft's first-class cabins before retiring the planes at the end of next decade. The thing about tariffs Clark said Emirates has not yet seen a shift in demand patterns as a result of President Trump's tariff war and expects the manufacturers to absorb the rise in cost before things settle down. 'Well, in the end, we'll have to have that conversation (about manufacturers increasing the price because of tariff impact). They're not in a position at the moment to say exactly what is going to happen to their cost structures, because they don't know what the supply chain effect is going to be,' said Clark, who has been the President of Emirates since 2003. 'If you have 140 per cent tariffs that people said one day, and then it's down to 10 per cent the next day, they've got to just take stock and take long-term views to what the their costs are going to do, and then have a conversation with us as to what that may be. 'As far as we're concerned, at the moment, they can absorb that. They need to absorb that until it gets to a point where it's not absorbable, if you can use that word, and then we have that conversation. But it's too early to engage and say your price is going up 10 per cent etc. Because, as soon as things change positively, then we would expect those prices to come down. Those conversations are time-wasting at the moment. Let's just sit tight and see what happens.'
The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
IndiGo CEO defends India's bilateral aviation policy amid criticism from Emirates President
Sparring with Emirates President Tim Clark, who once again criticised India's restrictive policy for foreign carriers, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Monday said, 'if one side makes more and more noise, it doesn't mean that you are more and more right.' 'It's called the bilateral agreement, right? That means two sides have to agree on something,' Mr. Elbers said during a press conference at the Annual General Meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in New Delhi, when asked about India's protectionist policies towards airlines. On Sunday (June 1, 2025), Mr Clark had stated that India's ambitions for developing hub airports to attract connecting passengers were not 'compatible' with its restrictive policies for foreign airlines. The UAE has sought a revision of the air service agreement and a doubling of seat capacity between Dubai and India from 65,000 seats per week to 1,40,000 seats. However, the Indian government maintains that it needs to prevent leakage of passengers ferried by foreign carriers through their hub airports such as Dubai, Doha, and Singapore, at the expense of Indian carriers flying long-haul routes such as Air India. IndiGo's CEO described the Indian government's approach as 'completely fair and balanced.' Mr Elbers's remarks, which are usually measured, come at a time when IndiGo is entering the European market, with Manchester and Amsterdam as its maiden destinations from early July. The airline has also doubled its order of widebody Airbus A350 aircraft to 60, enabling it to offer non-stop flights across the world. Mr Elbers explained that historically there had been an imbalance where several countries with flying rights into India deployed capacity through their airlines for Indian destinations, while Indian carriers lagged behind. Sharing the stage with Mr Elbers was IATA Director General Willie Walsh, who expressed an opposing view. He said that while flying rights were an issue worldwide, India was now looking at a 'fascinating opportunity' as it pivots from domestic to international connectivity. This transition would require greater access to international markets, which in turn would require reciprocity. 'As we see the expansion of the carriers in India accessing new markets, you will have to see a corresponding change to the approach for access,' Mr Walsh maintained.
Bloomberg
15 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Emirates Reviews Russia Flights as Ukraine Expands Drone Attacks
The world's largest long-haul carrier plans to review services to Russia following Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside the country over the weekend. Dubai-based Emirates has contended with disruptions since the start of the war in early 2022, President Tim Clark said Monday in a Bloomberg Television interview. The airline, which has provided Moscow with crucial links to the outside world, has no current plan to curtail flights but will monitor the developing situation, he said.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘If one side makes more noise, it doesn't mean they are more right:' IndiGo CEO on Emirates' clamour for more bilaterals
IndiGo CEO on Emirates' clamour for more bilaterals NEW DELHI: As desi carriers prepare to increase their share in international air travel in and out of the country, India's largest airline IndiGo has reacted sharply to Emirates' long-standing demand for more flying rights for Dubai. 'First of all, it's called a bilateral agreement, right? That means two sides have to agree on something. If one side makes more and more noise, it doesn't mean you're more and more right. It's not that if one side says, 'now we do it' — that's not how it works,' IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said at the IATA AGM Monday, without naming Emirates. On Sunday, Emirates Airlines president Tim Clark had said: 'We've been stuck with 65,000 seats in each direction (Dubai-India and vice-versa) for just over 11 years now (during which period the demand for travel has grown exponentially). Fifteen years ago, the population to Dubai was about 25 lakh. This is over 80 lakh. Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and 40% of the ethnic mix is of Indian origin. If you look at the way the Indian community has moved to and from Dubai over the last 10 or 11 years, you can see the scale of what is not happening by not giving seats to Emirates or wherever else it may be. The Indian govt has a policy at the moment of restricting capacity of foreign carriers into India, and they have their own reasons for that.' Elbers did not name Emirates but said on Monday Indian carriers do not use their quota of flying rights to some country/ies while airlines of that region do so (not the case with Dubai). 'There were a massive number of flights into India and no operations by Indian operators. So, for a government to say, 'first let's use the existing pool of traffic rights, and then look at new ones,' I think that's a completely fair and balanced approach,' he said, adding, 'I think govt of India has stepped forward and made a couple of new air service agreements with different countries in different parts of the world. ' IATA DG General Willie Walsh said Monday: 'As we see the expansion of Indian carriers into new markets, there will have to be a corresponding change to the approach for access.' Air India CEO Campbell Wilson had last year said that giving more flying rights to countries like the UAE will be 'pulling the rug out' from under Indian airlines, that have placed orders for hundreds of planes.
