Emirates airline has no plans to cut capacity despite financial pressures caused by the Iran war, president Tim Clark said on Tuesday, as the carrier presses for Berlin traffic rights.
The airline continues to route passengers through Dubai to destinations including India and Australia, taking precautions such as carrying extra fuel.
"We have no intention of cutting back, reducing," Mr Clark said in Berlin on Wednesday, ahead of the Berlin Air Show. He is not concerned about the extra cost, he added.
"I'd like to get through this Middle East crisis as the president of the airline," he said.
Emirates can fly for up to five hours beyond a destination just in case due to extra fuel, Mr Clark said, adding that there are alternative fuel sources online but they need to come on much quicker.
Emirates is also seeking broader expansion in Germany, saying most stakeholders would benefit from new long-haul capacity, while the airline introduces free Starlink services to its aircraft.
Mr Clark said that offering Starlink connectivity to passengers has had a significant effect on demand for Emirates flights and that the airline was putting the technology into as many aircraft as possible.
Emirates has long campaigned for greater access to Berlin. Mr Clark said the airline secured slots at the city's airport but still lacked approval to operate. It has regularly used the air show in the German capital as a platform to highlight its contribution to the local economy, dating back to an order for 32 more Airbus A380 that secured thousands of jobs in 2010.
The Emirates boss also criticised Deutsche Lufthansa, which has long claimed that Gulf carriers have an unfair regulatory advantage in Europe. Lufthansa should not rely on the German government to keep other airlines away from the country, he added.
"It is a listed company and it needs to fight its own corner without going to the government and hiding behind its skirts," Mr Clark said.
Mr Clark further warned that weaker airlines could fail if the Iran war drags on, with budget carriers most exposed.
"If this crisis goes on for too long, there will be some casualties, likely in the budget airline sector first," he said, echoing comments by International Air Transport Association's director general Willie Walsh at the weekend.
Mr Clark also said that Emirates is not in a position to order Airbus A350-1000 until Rolls-Royce demonstrates engine improvement.
