Emirates Airlines awaits report on Kochi emergency landing

CHENNAI - Emirates Airline is awaiting reports of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and its own team on the emergency landing of one of its flights in Kochi last month.

“The DGCA is carrying out the investigation. The official report will come from us and DGCA,” Orhan Abbas, the Dubai-based airline’s vice president (India and Nepal), told reporters here Thursday.

Last month a Kochi-bound Emirates flight carrying 350 passengers and 14 crew suddenly lost height due to turbulence while flying over Bangalore at a height of 35,000 ft. The airline had put the height loss to just 200 feet.

Around 23 people were injured in the incident.

Abbas said the Middle East-Indian Ocean region contributes 12.6 percent of the airline’s total revenue of $11.8 billion.

On cargo operations, he said the airline carried around 403 tonnes out of India and the goods were mainly garments, leather goods and auto components.

Meanwhile, the airline is luring Indian travellers with packages like “Kids Go Free”, online visa, ticket booking on mobile phone, complimentary stay for first and business class passengers, and concessional return journey fare from Dubai.

Abbas said the airline offers free tickets, tourist visa, three- or five-star hotel accommodation for two children below the age of 16 years and accompanied by two paying adults.

He said the airline is also getting reasonable response for its special packages for the FIFA 2010 World Cup football matches to be held in South Africa.

Ruling out induction of another freighter service in India, Abbas said the airline has plans to induct around 145 aircraft.

“We have ordered 58 A380 planes and seven of them will be added to our fleet this year,” he said.