Emirates Airlines is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) airline. It is based in Dubai. During the airlines service. Emirates did face a lot of controversies in the past, causing a decline to Emirates. Emirates is as of now a 4-star airline, regarding the bad complaints, no good on time performance, delays, cancellations, bad food reviews, and many more. Emirates also had received criticism for the treatment of staff (including crew) and passengers.
2016 Lawsuit[]
On September 23, 2016, an Italian man sued Emirates for being squashed by an obese man for 9 hours in economy.
2019 Lawsuit[]
An Australian woman who said to have collapsed on an Emirates long haul flight, sued Emirates for not receiving water, but unfortunately lost
Nigeria Suspension[]
In August 2022, Emirates suspended flights to Nigeria after it got a dispute with the government of Nigeria over repatriation of undisclosed amount of money from the country. The dispute has since been resolved and in June 2024, the airline resumed its regular flights to the West African nation.
2023 Lawsuits[]
Emirates has been sued by a man from New Zealand, Brodie Chapman, for $8,000 and won. This was all because of a complaint on a "disgusting" business class seat Brodie sat on aboard the flight. He also filed a lawsuit for false advertising.
2 months later, a British energy trader sued Emirates and is still being investigated.
In August 2023, a Pakistani man sued Emirates for Rs5,000,000 claiming that the airline is below standards and extremely poor. He won the lawsuit.
2024 Emirates Airlines Fine[]
On June 13, 2024, Emirates was sued by the United States government for $1,000,000 for operating flights under the Jetblue Airlines designator code below 32,000 ft over a prohibited airspace in Iraq.
2024 UAE Floods Disaster[]
On April 16, 2024, during the 2024 UAE Floods, 5 people were killed and dozens were injured when heavy rain struck Dubai, UAE. This also caused disruptions to Emirates Airlines at Dubai International Airport. and many cancellations to flights. Floods also entered inside Dubai Airport, causing many to be stranded at the airport.
North Korea Flag[]
Emirates mistakenly displayed the North Korea flag during cabin crew graduation.
2025 Protest Plan[]
A passenger who flew Emirates Airlines and was racially mistreated by the crew on multiple flights, has plans to protest in the summer of 2025. Technically, this hasn't been confirmed. He flew on February 2-18, 2024, from Dulles, Virginia, United States to Hyderabad, India and back. He is also accusing Emirates of purposely "food poisoning" him and other passengers onboard, as well as a broken recliner on seat in economy aboard the flight. This caused him to have PTSD and has plans to protest on Emirates in the summer of 2025.
Fat Shaming Incident[]
On April 8, 2024, a journalist named Srishti was fat shamed on a Delhi-Dubai Emirates flight. She shared her experience on social media receiving an apology for the incident.
General Criticism[]
Emirates has also faced general criticisms over the years, including complaints about on-time performance, delays, cancellations, and the quality of food. Additionally, there have been criticisms regarding the treatment of staff and passengers.
United Dragging Scandal[]
In 2017, Emirates commented on the infamous United Airlines dragging scandal, stating that it reflected negatively on the entire airline industry. The incident involved a passenger being forcibly removed from an overbooked flight to make room for airline employees.
Labor Dispute[]
Emirates has faced criticism and legal challenges related to labor practices, including disputes over wages, working conditions, and the treatment of its employees.
Environmental Concerns[]
Like many airlines, Emirates has been criticized for its environmental impact, particularly in terms of carbon emissions and sustainability practices.
Customer Service Issues[]
There have been numerous complaints from passengers about poor customer service, including issues with baggage handling, flight delays, and unhelpful staff.
Political Controversies[]
Emirates has occasionally been caught in political controversies, such as when it was accused of violating international sanctions by operating flights to certain countries.
FIFA Controversy[]
Emirates was a sponsor of FIFA and the FIFA World Cup but stopped its sponsorship in early 2015 because of allegations of corruption and bribery within FIFA, as well as FIFA's controversial decision to award the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar.
Tripadvisor And Skytrax Complaints[]
The "Terrible" section of the Emirates Tripadvisor page is increasing quickly as people complain such as food poisoning, racial discrimination, and even baggage loss at airports. Skytrax downgraded the airline due to the complaints on both Tripadvisor and Skytrax. The lack of complaints is impacting Emirates' reputation and awards.
Open Skies Agreement[]
Emirates, along with other Gulf carriers like Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, was involved in controversies related to open skies agreements. U.S. and European airlines accused these Gulf carriers of receiving unfair subsidies from their governments, which allegedly violated fair competitive practices.
Human Rights Violation[]
A Ghanaian engineer, Djanie Kotey, filed a human rights case against Emirates, alleging mistreatment and document falsification. He claimed that he was detained in uncomfortable conditions and forced to purchase a new ticket after being denied entry to Macau.
Criticism From Other Airlines[]
Emirates' rapid growth and expansion have attracted criticism from other carriers, who claim that the airline has unfair advantages due to open-skies policies with the UAE.
Boeing 777X[]
Emirates has had challenges with the Boeing 777X, the largest twin-engine aircraft in the industry. The 777X's entry into service has been delayed by five years due to certification issues and problems with the GE9X engines. Emirates has been a major customer of Boeing and has openly expressed frustration with the delays.
Newark-Athens Flight[]
When Emirates launched a non-stop flight between Newark, New Jersey and Athens, Greece in 2017, it was met with protests from United Airlines and several members of US Congress. The protests were part of a long-running feud between the three major US legacy carriers and the three major Middle Eastern airlines.
Corporate Tax Drop[]
Emirates' first-half profit dropped 8% after the United Arab Emirates introduced a corporate tax.
Government Support[]
A study commissioned by Emirates itself claimed that the Dubai aviation industry has not benefited from government support. However, some say that the report's positive findings about Emirates were more like propaganda than an objective analysis.
Covid-19 Layoffs[]
Former New York-based employees of Emirates are suing the airline for allegedly targeting American workers for layoffs during the pandemic. The lawsuit claims that Emirates illegally failed to give employees severance or advanced notice of their termination.
Pilot Training[]
There have been concerns about the adequacy of pilot training programs, especially in light of the airline's rapid expansion and the introduction of new aircraft models.
Privacy Concerns[]
Emirates has faced scrutiny over privacy issues, including the handling of passenger data and surveillance practices.
EK521[]
Emirates Airlines Flight 521 was a flight from Trivandrum, India to Dubai, UAE. The aircraft was a Boeing 777-300ER. The plane was carrying 300 people onboard. On August 3, 2016, while the plane was making a go around at Dubai Airport, it crashed while landed at the airport and skidded of the runway. Minutes after the impact, an explosion occurred. The accident resulted in 1 death and 32 injuries.
A family who survived the crash, sued Boeing over the crash, but settled out of the court.
There were multiple concerns about runway safety after the crash about the condition and length of the runway, as well as the airport's preparedness for such emergencies. Some believed that the runway was not long enough to safely accommodate a large aircraft like the Boeing 777-300ER under such circumstances.
Questions were raised about the decision-making process of the pilots during the attempted go-around. Critics argued that the pilots should have aborted the landing earlier when they encountered wind shear.
Some inquiries were made into the maintenance history of the aircraft, although no significant issues were found that could have contributed to the accident.
Emirates is at risk of another plane crash, mostly with Boeing planes, as Boeing is seeing problems.
Pilot Fatigue[]
There have been concerns raised about pilot fatigue due to long working hours and demanding schedules, which could potentially compromise safety.
Gender Discriminations[]
There have been allegations of gender discrimination within the airline, particularly regarding the treatment and opportunities available to female employees.
Heathrow Airport Dispute[]
The dispute at Heathrow Airport involving Emirates occurred in July 2022. Heathrow Airport had capped the number of passengers to 100,000 per day over the summer due to resource constraints and operational challenges. This led to Heathrow demanding airlines, including Emirates, to stop selling summer tickets and reduce flights.
Emirates strongly rejected these demands, calling them "unreasonable and unacceptable". The airline criticized Heathrow for not planning or investing adequately and accused the airport of having a "blatant disregard for customers". Emirates decided to continue operating its flights as scheduled and refused to cut passenger numbers.
The situation led to a lot of tension and frustration, especially since many passengers had already booked their flights months in advance. Eventually, both parties agreed to work together to manage the situation and ensure smoother operations.
Carol Wilson Death[]
In 2011, the family of Carol Wilson sued Emirates for negligence. Wilson was on a flight from Dubai to Houston. During the flight, she suffered from a heart attack and died. The family claimed that the crew failed to provide assistance. The exact amount hasn't been publicly disclosed.
TAF America-Emirates Lawsuit[]
On December 6, 2024, the CEO of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle sued Emirates for N150 Million for human rights violation. Epelle is a resident in Nigeria that has a disability. Epelle was travelling to Boston, Massachusetts, United States. At Dubai International Airport, crew denied Epelle's boarding due to a claim that the US Border sent an email requesting Epelle to deny his boarding to Boston. However, Epelle was never shown the email or provided with further explanation.
Conclusion[]
Emirates was once a proud large carrier of travel is experiencing a shift in its position. The airline has seen profitable declines and is losing passenger trust. Some crew members are working for other airlines other than Emirates. Airlines such as Qatar Airways is increasing rapidly, expanding more routes and having more luxurious interiors than Emirates and Etihad. Emirates has faced multiple controversies and probably will face more in the coming years. Multiple people who have flown with the airline said that they have been food poisoned or were never refunded for a cancelled flight. Tripadvisor terrible reviews are increasing more. Dubai is at risk of a terrorist attack likely. So, take precautions when over there. Emirates did receive awards but might lose them if the airline experiences things such as protests or strikes. Passengers are not even trusting the awards Emirates own, as they are declining year over year. Emirates lost $5.5 Billion loss during the 2020-2021 financial year. The airline also reported a $1.1 Billion loss thought March 2022. Youtubers like Josh Cahill and Cassia Iyn posted a horrible complaint on Emirates. Cassia mentioned saying that Emirates are "thieves" stealing people's money as your pay for your seat. Complaints on mistreatment on unaccompanied minors happens on some flights.