Emirates Airline boss Tim Clark suggests new Darwin route as tourism picks up from Covid slump
A top airline boss says the Top End has to be taken more seriously when planning new flight services. See who could soon be landing into Darwin here.
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The boss of a globetrotting airline has revealed he is eyeing off the viability of a new route to Darwin as tourism picks up after the pandemic slump.
Dubai-based airline Emirates has signalled it is ready to expand and boost services across Australia in 2023.
President Tim Clark said the airline was looking increase its capacity, with additional services to major cities and international legs.
Mr Clarke confirmed an increase to Sydney and Melbourne services, a reboot of the Sydney to Christchurch, New Zealand service, and hinted at Darwin flight route in the future.
“I keep telling my guys you need to look at Darwin more seriously,” Mr Clarke told Sydney Morning Herald.
Mr Clark said the Darwin market was not “as strong or robust” as the major capitals — Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — but there were opportunities with Airbus A350-900.
He said the 350 seat aircraft were well suited to markets such as Darwin, with the company’s latest annual report stating it had 50 deliveries of the new plane in the works.
The company’s latest annual report said after “the worst year on record for the aviation industry” momentum had returned to the airline industry in 2021-22.
Emirates said it reported a net loss of $3.9bn in 2021-22, as it sought to recover from the pandemic tourism crash.
The Darwin Airport Master Plan estimates that within 14 years almost six million passengers will travel through the terminal, up from two million in 2017, with more than 100,000 airline movements per year by 2037.
Emirates currently partners with Qantas to provide flights into Darwin via Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
Emirates has been contacted for further comment.
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