Emirates decreases flights to US

Dubai-based airline, Emirates, says it will decrease its flights to the United States due to weakened demand, official report said on Wednesday.

The Middle East’s biggest airline said the U.S. entry ban affecting people from several Muslim countries as well as tight security measures and the electronics ban have affected its operations.

“The recent actions taken by the U.S. government relating to the issuance of entry visas, heightened security vetting, and restrictions on electronic devices in aircraft cabins, have had a direct impact on consumer interest.

“It also reduced the demand for air travel into the U.S.,” the government-owned carrier said in a statement.

Emirates will be reducing flights to five of the 12 U.S. destinations, starting May 1.

U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order halting new visas for people from six majority-Muslim countries and suspending refugee admissions for 120 days.

Starting March 16, Trump’s decree banned tourist, immigration and most other entries to the U.S. from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The U.S. has also banned large electronic devices from airliner cabins on direct flights out of Middle Eastern airports in eight countries, including the United Arab Emirates. (NAN)