There is no question that the small desert state of Dubai, which has been part of the United Arab Emirates since 1971, is known for its superlatives. The tallest building (830m), the highest Ferris wheel (250m) and the largest shopping centre in the world are just a few examples of the 400 world records that have made Dubai so famous around the world in recent decades.
As far as its national airline Emirates is concerned, things are no different here. The Dubai-based airline carries more than 43.6 million passengers on around 1500 weekly flights and operates 260 aircraft, including 116 of the A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, to 143 destinations in 76 countries.
In 2004, Vienna Airport became the 62nd destination in the Emirates route network and has enjoyed constant popularity ever since. I asked Country Manager Elisabeth Zauner for a big interview to mark this milestone anniversary:
Emirates is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Vienna on 1 May. Can you give us a brief review of the highlights of the past few years?
Elisabeth Zauner:
Emirates has been connecting passengers from Vienna to the whole world since 1 May 2004. We started with an Airbus A330-200 and four weekly flights. In the two decades that followed, we grew continuously and now have two daily flights in Vienna – one A380 and one B777-300ER. The use of the A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world, on the Vienna route demonstrates the importance of the Austrian market for the airline. In 20 years, we have welcomed more than 5 million passengers on 20,500 flights and transported 260,000 tonnes of freight. What makes me particularly proud is that almost 20% of our employees in our Vienna offices have been with the company for 20 years. So much professional experience and passion is reflected in the perfectly harmonised service quality we offer our customers.
How difficult was it for EK to gain a foothold in the Austrian market back then?
Thanks to our sports sponsorship strategy (football, golf, tennis, etc.), we were already known to a certain extent – but as “Fly Emirates” (our slogan, which appears on the footballers’ shirts, for example). Our advantage is that customers who have flown with us once usually return. This has enabled us to secure a good share of the Austrian and Slovakian markets very quickly. From the very beginning, we have also placed great emphasis on cooperation with travel agency sales and have a large team on the ground here to support travel agencies and tour operators locally. We get very good feedback for this!
Some politicians or Austrian Airlines have tried to talk EK down, how difficult was it to increase the frequencies to twice daily?
Yes, there were one or two hurdles, but we overcame them successfully. I am convinced that the Austrian market is big enough for all airline players.
Did the introduction of the A380 on the Vienna route in July 2016 provide an additional boost to sales?
In any case. The A380 is an absolute crowd puller and a strong sales argument. And of course it offers us additional capacity. Compared to the B777, the A380 has almost 45% more capacity (516 instead of 356 seats), which we can use very well in the high season, as demand greatly exceeds supply on the market at these times.
When the A380 returned last year, there was also “hype” about the aircraft, what do you attribute the general interest to?
The A380 has been back in Vienna every day since February 2024. Who wouldn’t want to fly on a two-storey aircraft with an incredible wingspan (~80m), a great feeling of space, generous seat pitch and even an on-board lounge for Business and First Class customers? Not forgetting the 2 spa showers in First Class.
Dubai is a popular travel destination, how high is the “point to point” traffic and what are the most popular transfer destinations from Vienna?
About 60% of all travellers change planes in Dubai and fly on. 40% stay in Dubai. The Indian Ocean (Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles), Thailand, Indonesia and Australia are among our passengers’ favourite destinations.
How important is the geographical location of the Vienna site, how high is the proportion of Eastern European guests?
Our product is very popular in Eastern Europe and our market share there is very high. Around 10% of our passengers come from Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Emirates serves 22 countries in Europe, what role does little Austria play here?
With 2 daily flights, we play a role that should not be underestimated. The use of the A380 also shows our commitment to the Austrian market.
With the two daily flights you offer a total of 879 seats from Vienna, what is the average load factor of your flights?
Last year we recorded a load factor of over 80%.
In a recent interview you said that yields from Austria are particularly high, what do you attribute this to?
Yes, the Austrian route is a very profitable route, not least due to a good mix of business and leisure travellers and a healthy destination portfolio, i.e. a good mix of passengers who only fly to Dubai and those who change planes in Dubai. The seasonal mix is also very good, we see a lot of “incoming” traffic in the summer months and in the winter months it is classically the Austrians and Slovaks who fly on holiday. Business travel takes place all year round.
The competition always talks about the low purchasing power in Austria, how difficult is it to sell the Business & First Class product from Vienna?
For many people, the journey to their destination is now part of the holiday experience. It is important to them that they are picked up from home by our chauffeur service, can then spend time in the lounge and arrive relaxed at their destination. Of course, our premium product is not one that everyone can afford, but among those customers who have the purchasing power, we are one of the most popular airlines because our price/performance ratio is right.
Can we expect “Premium Economy” to be available from Austria soon?
That would be my great wish! I think the Austrian market is ready for it!
Last year was extremely good for aviation, have you now caught up with the pre-Covid figures?
Globally, we are almost back to pre-Covid capacity levels. The capacity on the Vienna route is already the same again and we transported almost as many passengers in 2023 as in 2019.
Do you expect this year to be as good or even better than last year?
As we will have around 20% more capacity in 2024 thanks to the reintroduction of the A380, this will also be reflected in passenger numbers and I expect 2024 to be a very strong year.
Honestly, would you have thought that business would return so quickly after Covid?
Several things have become clear: travelling has become a basic need for many people. People want to discover countries, immerse themselves in foreign cultures and visit friends and family all over the world. We are all professionals now and can hold virtual meetings, but we still prefer to do big business in person. Tim Clark always said that business would return very quickly and he was right.
A Dubai ticket on offer once cost just 399 euros, now it’s almost double that. How do you see ticket prices developing in the future?
We work with very low profit margins in the airline industry. Cost increases (personnel costs, fuel, infrastructure, etc.) cannot be absorbed in full by an airline; we would not be profitable in the long term. As I do not expect the cost structure to change in the next few years, I believe that we will have to adjust to higher ticket prices in the long term.
Numerous Arab airlines now fly to Vienna. In your opinion, what are the advantages of flying with your airline?
As a pioneer, Emirates continues to set new industry standards: first airline with individual screens in all classes fleet-wide (1992); first airline with private suites in commercial aviation (2003) or first airline with the use of mobile phones on board (2008). As a full-service premium airline, Emirates offers guests in all classes on board award-winning comfort and service, complimentary meals and drinks, a world-class entertainment programme and the hospitality of its international cabin crew.
You have been with Emirates for almost 16 years and have been in your current position as Country Manager since summer 2022. Are there many women in management positions at the Dubai-based airline?
We have a 35% share of women in middle and senior management worldwide. Emirates wants to further increase this proportion of women in management positions by 2025 and has therefore officially committed to the requirements of the UAE Gender Balance Council. In doing so, the company is promoting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Agenda to achieve gender equality.
What makes Emirates an interesting employer for you personally?
It’s the combination of a great product, a clear strategic direction and a vision of where we want to go. We always endeavour to recognise customer needs and have the best price/performance ratio on the market. It’s also fun to work with colleagues from over 160 nations who speak more than 70 languages.
How do you see the future development in Austria? Is there still potential for a second daily A380 Vienna flight?
I believe that we are currently very well positioned with the available capacity. However, if the fleet allows it, we would of course very much like to welcome a second A380 in Vienna, after all, the aircraft has so many fans! In general, the signs at Emirates are pointing to growth: we currently have more than 250 aircraft in the fleet and a total of 310 aircraft on order, 110 of which have just been ordered at the Dubai Airshow with a value of USD 58bn:
- 90 Boeing 777-9s (55) and 777-8s (35)
- five 787s
- 15 Airbus A350-900 worth USD 6 billion
As the responsible EK manager in Austria, surely you still have dreams or wishes that you would like to realise?
A four-class product with First, Business, Premium Economy Class and Economy would of course be great on the Austrian market and another unique selling point. I would also like the cooperation with our many partners, such as Vienna Airport, tour operators and travel agencies, to remain as good and for us to continue to have such strong employee loyalty. After all, our employees are the ones who make the difference for our customers.
Martin Dichler
https://noen.at/schwechat/emirates-jubilaeum-ueber-fuenf-millionen-passagiere-in-20-jahren-421175746