Emirates Airline has decided to take a short break from its never ending battle for more landing rights in Canada.
said Andrew Parker, a senior vice president of international affairs at Emirates, with TheNational."We respect the 'umpire's decision' and I think we are just of the view that we are very comfortable letting some time pass."
The United Arab Emirates is limited to just six weekly flights to Canada, of which three is utilized by Etihad, leaving Emirates with just three weekly flights. The airline has been battling to get more rights into Canada, a market for which it has great demand from the Indian sub-continent, however has been refused any extra rights by Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper's government. Emirates' expansion plans have also been opposed by Air Canada, reportedly over the threat Emirates poses to the former's long-haul revenue, although AC does not serve the Middle East or the Indian sub-continent.
The battle for landing rights has gone as far as the UAE asking a Canadian army camp to leave the UAE and Canada awarding new landing rights to Emirates' prime competitor Qatar Airways. With the Harper government re-elected for another four years, Emirates must have thought of getting a short break with hopes of entering into a fresh round of talks, sooner than later.
Emirates was also refused by the German authorities from getting rights to serve Berlin and Stuttgart in Germany, last week.
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