An Emirates 777 was delayed for six hours at Seattle during a search for a spare part. (Image: Emirates)
How much does Delta hate the Big Three Middle Eastern airlines? Apparently quite a bit, based on a new allegation from Emirates.
Last spring, Delta was so upset about Qatar Airways holding a special event in Atlanta’s historic Fox Theater that Delta canceled its sponsorship of the venue. And now Emirates is charging that an apparent snit by Delta officials caused a six-hour delay in an Emirates departure from Seattle to Dubai this week.
According to Bloomberg News, an Emirates 777 at Seattle had a mechanical problem that required the replacement of a minor part in its hydraulic system. Since Emirates has no significant maintenance presence at SEA, it looked to other airlines there for a replacement part and found one at Delta. This is said to be common practice among airlines regardless of their competitive relationships.
Bloomberg said Delta’s local engineering office provided the $300 part, and it was installed on the Emirates 777 – but Emirates said that a Delta official at Atlanta headquarters called and ordered Seattle employees to take back the part. A Delta spokesman told Bloomberg that the part in question was the only one of that type Delta had at Seattle, so it had to keep the part in case it needed it.
Emirates then had to scramble around to find the spare part somewhere else, and eventually located one Alaska Airlines, which is a code-sharing partner of the Dubai-based carrier. The result of the situation was a departure delay of almost six and a half hours for the Emirates flight.
Atlanta’s Fox Theater lost Delta’s sponsorship after Qatar Airways held a party there last year. (Image: Fox Theater)
Delta, American and United have been trying for many months to get the U.S. government to clamp down on Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways by restricting their access to U.S. markets. The U.S. carriers allege that their Middle Eastern rivals are unfairly subsidized by their governments.
The CEOs of United and Delta, along with other carrier chiefs, met with President Donald Trump this week (American’s CEO had a scheduling conflict) and raised the issue of unfair competition from the Gulf States airlines. But according to news coverage of the meeting, Trump reportedly declined to do anything to block the Middle Eastern airlines, citing their large purchases of U.S.-made aircraft and engines, as well as other investments in the U.S. by their governments.
ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here
In the market for a new credit card? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you.
Don’t miss out! Join the 200,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!
You must work for Delta. But you don’t have to buy it for it to be true.
Agreed, and Delta can probably get the part quicker than a foreign airline can.
I don’t buy the story either. (1) Alaska Air, where they eventually got the part, is a code-sharing partner. That should have been their first call. (2) Boeing is in Seattle. Get the part there if Alaska does not have it.
Conclusion: Emirates is simply trying to make Delta “look bad” around the time they meet with Trump in an attempt to restrict Emirates access to US Airspace. Simply business/PR shenanigans.
Generally I don’t have much pity for the “Big 3” complaining about other carriers, but this sounds ridiculous on Emirates part. They didn’t have a part, and they called other airlines before calling code-sharing Alaska Airlines, which has a Hub in Seattle!?!? Really, Emirates is to blame for this delay.
Couldn’t agree more, Delta and United have had a lot of ways of screwing us all including bankruptcy laws.
Delta was being petty by doing this. It’s not like they wouldn’t have been able to reorder the part from Boeing and I don’t believe they even have any Delta flights using a 777 out of SEA.
It was a part that both the 737 and 777 use. This is not fake news.
Oh, boo hoo about Emirates allegedly receiving government support.
Delta and United have benefited hugely from U.S. bankruptcy laws that allowed them to clear their balance sheets of debt and start anew. Delta doubly benefited when Northwest entered bankruptcy. Have not heard of any bankruptcy court in the UAE being so kind.
By the way, there is always some delay when airlines move parts from one airline to another as their legal teams must de-register a part with the government and then register it under its new owner/user. That takes time and perhaps even more so when an airline involved is not U.S. based.
Just wondering…do these Big 3 Middle-eastern airlines harass passengers who speak Arabic during the flight?
I could see Delta doing this, they have lost their way over the last few years. Folks here in Atlanta used to be proud of them, no more.
It isn’t t like the Middle East big 3 are cheap on there flights. The US carrier big three just can’t gouge as bad. They to get an international slot into and major US airport. It is a nightmare.
It doesn’t really work like that. If it did there would be a Boeing part store at SEA like a NAPA.
Boeing is right there, get the part from Boeing at Boeing Renton. Fake news.
I dont believe the story. First off, if this did happen in Seattle, the home to most of Boeing production, just get the part from Boeing.
And Alaska doesn’t fly 777. The your fake news story doesn’t add up.
The article says that there is a convention that airlines help each other out in these situations. Makes sense as, some time in the future, Delta might need help from Emirates, which will not not be forthcoming.
The odds of Delta needing that part in the few hours before they could ship another one is trivial. And Boeing is just a few miles away.
Sorry but sour grapes on Delta’s part. Emirates does loops around Delta, United because they care about passengers and do a much better job. I agree Emirates does have government help, but United and Delta should just get out of the markets that the are against Emirates, they just can’t compete. United use to have a big Washington Dulles to Dubai flight, not anymore because they couldn’t compete and business people flocked to Emirates instead of United. Two years ago I personally paid for Business Class on Emirates instead of flying United, passing up close to 12,000 frequent flyer miles because Emirates is that much better.
Talk to anyone that flys coach on Emirates and they will tell you that it comes close to comparing to United Business class, the seats have more room and the service is first class despite being in coach.
Wish United and Delta would study Emirates and try to be like them, make traveling so much nicer for all of us.
I’m a big Delta fan but this was a stupid move on their part. It’s gonna bite them in the butt.
Another classy move by Delta.
I’m no Delta fan, but Delta is under no obligation to sell Emirates their part (especially since it’s the only one they had locally). Emirates should have been better prepared or called their code-sharing partners to begin with.