Emirates’ collaborative effort minimised losses from US laptop ban

Emirates airline could have lost as much as half of its business to the US had it not rallied with Dubai Airports and security to manage the laptop ban, the head of the airline said.

Sir Tim Clark said the ability to meet the conditions of the ban within 96 hours and avoid disruption to travellers was an example of how collaborative and innovative thinking can work for the aviation industry.

The airline’s president was speaking during an opening address of the Avsec aviation summit in Dubai yesterday.

“When the new protocols were first announced, airlines, airports and other stakeholders were caught by surprise and we had just 96 hours to implement the directive,” Sir Tim told an audience of aviation and security industry figures.

The statement was issued by the Trump administration for several airports in the Middle East and North Africa in March over concerns that explosives could be concealed in laptops and tablets. It was lifted in July for Emirates and Etihad Airways, among others.

Sir Tim said the ban “affected us probably more than any other airline”. Emirates cut flights on five US routes at the time.

“Each day, we connect thousands of passengers from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, to 12 cities in the US,” he said.

“For us, the new electronics ban protocol was hugely disruptive and we could have lost up to 50 per cent of our loads to the US, if not for the swift and collaborative response from all the aviation stakeholders here in Dubai.”

The airline collaborated with the airport, police and other security operators to meet the deadline for compliance with the new directive.

The ban ultimately resulted in a dip on routes to the US by as much as 20 per cent.

He said Emirates came up with a solution that allowed travellers use their electronic devices on flights to Dubai, while in transit at the airport, and all the way until the moment they boarded their USbound flight.

“We found a way to collect these devices at the boarding gate, and then pack, secure, and place anything larger than a phablet into the hold, to be returned to their owners on arrival in the US,” he said.

He said this kept customers happy, and all the more understanding of the circumstances.

“Dubai led the way, and other airlines and airports soon followed suit.”

The issue was followed by yet another challenge.

“We were given 21 days to put in place increased explosive trace detection screening, and 120 days to comply with a number of other security measures,” he said.

In response, all concerned aviation stakeholders worked together to procure new screening technology, and deploy trained personnel.

This “success story”, he said, illustrated how, even under pressure, collaborative efforts could lead to the best outcome.

“We believe that as an industry, we should take a proactive approach to anticipating and addressing the threats and challenges of the future,” he said.

Emirates collaborated with the airport, police and security to meet the deadline for compliance with the new directive