Are you satisfied with Emirates' presence in France today?
Cédric Renard - We're very happy with our current schedule, with three flights a day between Paris and Dubai, all by A380, plus one flight a day from Nice, also by A380, and daily service to Lyon by A350. To put this into perspective, in London we have between 11 and 12 flights a day between Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The French network is therefore less dense, but it has real potential. When you look at our results on the French market and the satisfaction rate of our customers, there is clearly room for development. The feedback from the regions and from institutional clients is very positive, and they're all happy with our presence. We meet a wide range of needs, from business travellers to tourists, and we also handle cargo freight. And all with a recognised quality of service.
Where could you strengthen your presence from here?
C. R. - Why not in Bordeaux, Marseille or Toulouse? But it's important to remember that our commitment is always long-term. That's our trademark. Take sport, for example: we've been partners of the US Open since 2012, of Roland-Garros and the ATP Tour since 2013. And look at our routes in France: Paris was launched in 1992, Nice in 1994 and the 'last' stopover, Lyon, in 2012. Each time, we have a long-term approach based on a real vision, that of connecting people from all over the world and facilitating international business like that of the destination Dubai.
The partnership between the Emirates and Accor frequent flyer programmes has recently been strengthened. Is this proof of the importance of French customers for your airline?
C. R. - France is already an important market for Emirates. We are constantly looking for opportunities to gain even greater visibility, and the programmes are part of this strategy. Our Skywards frequent flyer programme, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, is very attractive in itself. But having this partnership with Accor is an additional asset that perfectly meets the expectations of French customers. Through sport, we are also able to offer our members exclusive experiences by sponsoring Olympique Lyonnais and Roland-Garros. Our miles entitle our members to free flights and upgrades, but they also give them access to exceptional events such as being in a stadium like today (Editor's note: this interview was conducted in the Emirates box at La Défense Arena, during the Rolex Paris Masters tournament). This enables us to run this programme for the French market.
Let's come back to your operations. What is the split between passengers travelling to Dubai and those transiting to other destinations?
C. R. - Around 40% of our customers are point-to-point. Dubai is a tourist, financial and economic destination in its own right. Most French companies have a presence here, whether to serve the local market or to expand into the Gulf region, or even the whole of Asia. At the same time, we are fortunate to have the world's largest international hub, and 60% of our passengers pass through Dubai for connections across our network, which now covers 152 destinations worldwide. In the meantime, Dubai's new airport will have a capacity of 240 million passengers by 2050.
As part of the growth of your network, you continue to add new destinations on a regular basis. What are your priority developments?
C. R. - We are continuing to expand our network. Since last June, we have added Danang in Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia, as well as reopening Damascus. This summer we also strengthened our network in China with routes to Shenzhen and Hangzhou. We've always had an extensive network in Beijing and Shanghai, and now we're expanding into these major economic cities for e-commerce and new technologies. India is also a fast-growing market, where we operate 170 weekly flights between Dubai and cities on the Indian subcontinent. China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Australia: we're looking at all the major economic zones. These destinations are at the heart of our business, and we are continuing to develop in line with demand, both passenger and cargo.
Let's move on to the trademark you mentioned, namely a recognised quality of service. Your "Fly Better" signature: what does it mean in concrete terms for travellers?
C. R. - That's our promise, to travel better. The idea is not to be a commodity. It's not just the destination that counts, but also the travel experience throughout the service chain. For example, in Paris, Lyon and Nice, we pick up business and first-time customers from their homes in a limousine and take them to their destination in Singapore or China... Then you have our airport lounges, including the one at Paris CDG, which has been renovated and can accommodate up to 190 people. Passengers then board the aircraft and enjoy the service of our crews, who undergo extensive training before becoming operational. And finally, there are our aircraft and their latest-generation cabins.
As part of this, you launched a massive redevelopment programme in 2022. How far have you got with this?
C. R. - This is undoubtedly the biggest cabin refurbishment programme ever undertaken by an airline, at a cost of $5 billion. Specifically, 219 aircraft are involved: 110 A380s and 109 Boeing 777s. Today, we have 72 retrofitted aircraft. For the passenger, it's like having a new plane. All our customers are impressed and the feedback is very, very good. At the same time, the first A350s to enter our fleet and the last six A380s we have received are already equipped with the new cabins. So by the end of 2025, we will have 40% of the Emirates fleet equipped with the new First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins. Our roadmap envisages reaching 80% of the fleet equipped by the end of 2026.
The A380 remains at the heart of your strategy. Will Emirates be the last of the Mohicans to use this aircraft?
C. R. - We're not the last, as some airlines are coming back. But I would like to point out that there is the standard A380, and then there is the Emirates A380. This is an aircraft that is not densified. Whether you're in economy, business or first class, there's plenty of room for passengers. You'll find the latest-generation screens and Wi-Fi. In business class on the A380, you have the bar, an emblematic place where you can chat with your colleagues or relax. And if we push the experience to the limit, in first class you even have an on-board shower.
Emirates has also been adding A350s to its fleet. How quickly will they be deployed?
C. R. - We have ordered 65 of them - A350-900s to be precise - and we are in the process of receiving our tenth aircraft. The first European destination was Edinburgh, followed by Lyon and Bologna, and the aircraft is also being deployed to destinations in Asia.
So this aircraft is intended more for secondary destinations?
C. R. - For us, all regions are important. Emirates not only serves the capital cities, but also the major regional cities. When you look at the value of the connectivity we bring to Lyon - opening up to Dubai, the Gulf and the world - it's real added value. We're doing it rationally, with the right type of aircraft. We will also have an XLR version of the A350 which will enable us, for example, to serve Adelaide, Australia, from December.
What does the business cabin offer on these A350s?
C. R. - First of all, a 1-2-1 configuration. You'll also find electric hub covers, wireless recharging directly on a tablet, and 4K technology on our screens, for an even more immersive display of our highly acclaimed ICE entertainment system, which offers 6,500 channels of entertainment. We have also invested in Wi-Fi by signing a contract with Thales and their AvantUp system, which will give us even smoother technology with optimised data flow.
Both A350 and A380 aircraft now offer a Premium Economy class. What are the advantages of this new class?
C. R. - We offer 56 Premium Economy seats on the A380 and two versions, with 21 or 28 seats, on the A350. The design of this Premium Economy cabin is unlike anything else on the market. It's a cabin in its own right. You board the A350, or the reconfigured A380s, and the crew greets you with a welcome drink and amuse-bouche. The cuisine is sophisticated, with seasonal produce served on china, champagne and part of the business class wine list, as well as a travel kit. The seat reclines 120 degrees, with six adjustment positions between the headrest and the footrest. The world has all the hallmarks of a business cabin, with beige colours and meticulous seat stitching... It's a superb premium product that allows business customers to travel better than in economy class.
Are the passengers in this cabin more business or leisure?
C. R. - Mainly leisure customers. When a company has a policy of long-haul flights in business class, it doesn't degrade it. But we also have a lot of companies who, for budgetary reasons, travel in economy class and take the plunge with this class, which is an excellent compromise. We also have a large clientele of expatriates and SMEs who make this choice. For the comfort of business at the best value for money.
How is NDC content developing in the corporate segment?
C. R. - We already have our own Emirates solutions via our direct connection. We are gradually rolling out our NDC solutions to travel agencies and operators. We also have agreements that are being developed with aggregators and GDSs that are entering the market with their NDC solutions. This development plan is going very well. And this new technology is enabling us to offer even more customised and personalised services. It fits in perfectly with the Emirates experience and our desire to personalise the service even more.
Returning to your operations, are the difficulties in your supply chains affecting you?
C. R. - The choice we made, in anticipation, was to invest massively in our current fleet. We have 260 long-haul aircraft. We are refitting the 219 aircraft in the current fleet, including the A380s that will be flying in the Emirates fleet for another fifteen years or so, in addition to new aircraft such as the A350 and the 777X, due to enter service in 2027. The aim is to have a larger fleet, an even more comprehensive network, with increasing frequencies. In total, we have 309 long-haul aircraft on order. This is very significant.
In an interview with the newspaper Les EchosBenjamin Smith and Carsten Spohr, the bosses of Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, have jointly criticised the distortion of competition by non-European airlines. How do you respond to this?
C. R. - Let's take one of the examples highlighted In this interview, the SAF (Editor's note: sustainable aviation fuel): Emirates obviously follows the recommendations and rules in place in all the countries where we operate. We have mandates for incorporation that we respect in European countries, and we have agreements signed with Total, Neste, in Singapore, Amsterdam and elsewhere. Emirates, on its own initiative, has made a $200 million fund available to help with the energy and technology transition. Another key lever for decarbonisation is the fleet. And I think that in this respect Emirates is beyond reproach, with 309 long-haul aircraft on order. But we have to look to the future, and I prefer to talk about what we are going to do rather than explain the difficulties they are facing. There's a surprising vocabulary in these debates: we talk about "hub" as if it were a bad thing when it's a hub in the Gulf, less so if it's a hub in Atlanta or Paris CDG. I'll limit myself to this comment. We are fortunate to have a strong brand, a global destination - the third busiest in the world - through which we connect people from all over the world. We are at the crossroads of international trade. We know that the aviation environment is ultra-competitive. We have our strengths, and all airlines have their strengths. Emirates has a premium positioning with an experience in which we invest heavily. It's a recognised model, with a real business model. That's what I prefer to focus on.
