Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline, was interviewed last month at the Emirates HQ in Dubai. We talked about the latest aviation news, fleet decisions, and how to navigate out COVID. But we also discussed his personal aviation career. Here's the interview.
Do you recall which plane you flew the first time?
As a child, I flew on the Pan-Am Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. I remember looking around and saying "Yes, they have lounges," "Yes, they have a downstairs dining room", etc. In all these years, the A380 has been there.
But, I can't recall the first one. I traveled a lot as an adult, but that was in my childhood. I flew super constellations and Stratocruisers .
My most vivid memory is the first Boeing 707 that I flew on in January 1960. It was an Air India 707. They were the first international carrier to receive the 707. It was an incredible carrier, and so visionary.
Air India B707. Wikimedia Commons: Souce
I even have a good memory of what I ate while on the plane. As sad as it may have looked, in my shorts, and long socks, I traveled a lot as an unaccompanied minor. I was seven, eight, or nine years old, so these memories are very vivid. I can recall the inner layer of super constellations of QANTAS and Air India. Yes, it's fascinating. However, I have a bit more memory than an elephant. These are the things that I always remember.
Why did you choose to fly?
It's just like any other person who has a passion. Why did you choose that hobby? You might say that you like painting pictures, and that you are very good at it. I have a talent for painting pictures.
It's not something I know, so it's difficult for me to determine. It was a passion. My brothers were 747 pilots with British Airways, and my father was a seafaring captain on oil tankers. This kind of travel was in my blood.
My brother and I were always flying, and he became a pilot. While he was very interested in the cockpit, I was more interested in the back end. As a child, I was fascinated by how things worked. However, I realized that I didn't really want to do any other job after I finished my education.
Would I have preferred to do something else? If I was passionate about it, yes. But most likely no.
Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline
Emirates will be purchasing three additional A380s in advance of the scheduled delivery date this year. Are you still convinced by this plane?
It is. We were eager to take the final three aircraft in our order. It was also the last one that would ever be delivered this calendar year. This is because we have refurbished or redesigned the interiors to include Premium Economy. We also took the chance to update the Business Class cabin, upstairs lounge, and all downstairs facilities. It's basically a brand new plane.
Your competitor doesn't believe in the A380 any more...
They are not my responsibility. Each company has a different way of using their A380s. They also have different deployment locations. But for Emirates, the A380 remains the core of our network. These three aircraft will be our 118th, and they have proven so important for our bottom line and in helping us define who we are and where to go in the future.
The A380 is a hugely loved aircraft. This was our future, Emirates. These airplanes, which we will receive later this year, will stay in the fleet until 2030. Or at least as long they comply with increasing environmental pressures regarding what the airplane actually does. It is possible to fit 615 people into an A380 two-class, and the fuel consumption per seat is actually lower than on other wide-bodied aircraft.
The A380 will be an elegant solution to congestion slots problems at airports. People who think these aircraft will disappear need to reevaluate their assumptions. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline
Air travel demand will rebound to its pre-pandemic levels once we have recovered from the crisis. Airline planning will again be affected by congestion. Airports we currently serve will still face the same pressures as before.
In the next five to seven year, the A380 will likely be more successful than ever before.
How many planes will you be re-fitting with Premium Economy?
Yes, we do have plans to retrofit 124 B777s with Premium Economy. These are the ones that aren’t due to be out of service. We’re going to do everything. This is an expensive project that will be done at a time when cash is scarce, but we are determined to make progress.
All of the new aircraft, including the 787s, 777xs, and A350s, will have Premium Economy.
When do you expect to receive the B777x
It is a very good question. Unfortunately, I am unable to answer it at this time. To find out what is actually going on, we will be visiting our Boeing friends soon. We aren't sure what is going to happen. These A380s are very important because we have a continuum of aircraft and we don't need to worry about the future.
Without consistent government border policies, how can we navigate this? How can the aviation industry inspire confidence in people to travel?
It's a good question, and the $64,000 question is out right now. It's not looking good for governments to create a standard protocol to make it easier to access any information on health, such as vaccines, PCRs and antigens.
It is a shame that vaccine programs all over the globe are so inconsistent. In South America, for example, only 2% to 3% of the population has been inoculated. We have to decide who is in charge of the G7. G20? I'm not sure. It would be counterproductive to leave them alone in relation to the OECD countries. They have a right to vaccine the markets they access and interact with. In the end, I believe that common sense will prevail.
When is that going to happen? It is unlikely that it will happen before 2022, the middle of next-year. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline
If you travel out of the UK, you might be confronted with four PCRs. We know how much they cost. You might decide that the trip isn't worth it if you have four people in your family. This has to change if I'm ever to move forward. We will eventually get there, but it will take longer than I thought.
Due to COVID, flying behavior may also have changed. Some people may prefer to fly direct and not through Dubai. Are you worried that this will harm Emirates?
That's something I can't believe in. This argument has been extensively used for the employment of both the single-aisle 321XLR and the 787. Ironically, in the nineties we went to Airbus and Boeing, suggesting that an aircraft capable of flying for 14-16 hours without stopping with a full load was needed. We were kinda scoffed when we suggested that an aircraft that could fly for 14 or 16 hours nonstop with a full payload would be needed. We were told that people would want to stretch their legs and have all sorts of other bizarre arguments. We persevered and the A340-500/LR and B777-200/LR were produced. After realizing that people wanted to travel long distances, the manufacturing capabilities improved.
What you see now is the belief that COVID will contract and people will fly longer distances in smaller aircraft because they don't want to stop at any intermediate point.
Emirates' model is not limited to serving primary hubs. We can serve all levels of airports, including those at the second, third, and fourth-level. This will allow you to maximize the opportunities for city-pair combinations. Let's say you want to fly from Seattle to Dar es Salaam. While a full flight of passengers might be possible on a nonstop A350 or B787, it is not likely that you will get there. However, we can take you from Seattle to Dae es Salaam in an hour and a quarter. I can also feed it with 20 flights which makes the Dar es Salaam market very profitable. This is how it works.
When will Emirates get the A350?
2023 is the planned date for A350. We are still aligned with the A350-900 as we want to get it in sooner than later. We must map out our fleet planning accordingly.
Are you positive Emirates will become supersonic?
Technology as it stands today? To scale supersonic transport at the same level of economic efficiency and environmental impact as some modern-day twins. My lifetime is probably beyond my reach.
Where could we go? Now we can go supersonic. There have been great advancements in dynamics, understanding materials, understanding composites, and propulsion. It's not clear if that's enough for us to get to the point we need, but I don't know if it is. I am not certain if they will be able to meet the economics or the environmental requirements of an aircraft like the one I mentioned.
I would like to see aircraft flying at Mach 0.9 economically. This would require changes to the wing aerodynamics. I also want to see more use of our assets because they are so costly. Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline
If you can take an airplane from Mach 0.8 to Mach 9 then it makes a significant difference in the utilization, especially over long distances. If you have a fleet that's larger than ours, you can get the same utilization out of one and a quarter aircraft as two.
If we could make the aircraft fly faster, more efficiently, and be more eco-friendly, then that's where we should be.
Are you able to predict when you will retire?
To see this pandemic through and to help guide the airline through this difficult time, I would be happy to. This is the most difficult period in the airline's past. I don't mean to say that it is impossible for me to stay. There are many people in the company who will and can do the right things. Although I don't intend to work for another 10 to 15 years, I do hope to see us through this pandemic.
