Emirates plans new routes amid European airlines' pullback from China

Sources close to Emirates' network planning indicate that more routes are expected soon. The airline also plans to launch service to Hangzhou on China's east coast this summer. Other potential destinations include Chengdu in China; Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo; Da Nang in Vietnam; Helsinki in Finland; and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Internal memos suggest that the new Airbus A350 could be used on the Dubai-Helsinki route, although this has not been confirmed. It was also noted that these additions have not yet been finalized and may face delays.

Some of these routes might be operated as fifth-freedom flights, where an airline connects two cities outside its home country. Emirates already operates several such routes and could expand this strategy further.

Meanwhile, European airlines like British Airways, Lufthansa, and SAS are scaling back their flights to China due to increased competition from Chinese carriers and complications arising from closed Russian airspace. These factors make direct routes more costly due to increased fuel consumption. For instance, Lufthansa recently cut its Frankfurt-Beijing route citing high costs and competition.

Emirates appears poised to capitalize on these challenges faced by European airlines by leveraging its strategic location at Dubai International Airport. While it remains uncertain how many new destinations will ultimately be launched this year, Emirates seems determined to seize opportunities within a dynamic industry landscape.