ALBAWABA – After numerous Gulf nations have experienced devastating floods which claimed dozens dead and severely damaged infrastructure, Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline has spoken out in an open letter regarding the extent of the damage the unprecedented storm had done to air travel.
Clark noted that this week has been among the most difficult for Emirates in terms of operations, with a rain storm that was the highest in 75 years causing disruptions activity across cities, saying “I would like to offer our most sincere apologies to every customer who has had their travel plans disrupted during this time."
“We diverted dozens of flights to avoid the worst of the weather on Tuesday, and over the next 3 days we had to cancel nearly 400 flights and delay many more, as our hub operations remained challenged by staffing and supply shortages,” the statement reads, adding that taking care of clients who were harmed by the interruption and returning business to normal were the main priorities of the company.
According to a social media post by Facebook page ‘A Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge’, multiple Emirates employees have shared concerns over “inhumane conditions” in which they were required to keep operations running despite other airlines suspending flights.
The post reads how “desperate crew members bombarded the airline's crew support channels, seeking answers and directions. However, they found their calls unanswered or the numbers not working due to the sheer volume of calls from fearful colleagues worried their failure to report for duty would jeopardize their careers.”
The CEO statement notes that their “24/7 hub in Dubai remained open, with flight movements reduced for safety, but flooded roads impeded the ability of our customers, pilots, cabin crew, and airport employees to reach the airport, and also the movement of essential supplies like meals and other flight amenities.”
Adding that they “sent over 100 employee volunteers to look after disrupted customers at Dubai Airport departures and in the transit area, prioritising medical cases, the elderly and other vulnerable travellers.”
Emirates operations according to Zawya, have been fully restored as of the moment, with Clark stating that the company has established “a task force to sort, reconcile, and deliver some 30,000 pieces of left-behind baggage to their owners.”
