Originally Posted by alex0683de
Most of the distances involved in the EK route network are pretty long, which makes it impractical to have a smaller, short-haul fleet. Besides, in the Middle East there is a high demand for premium classes, including F, which means that you need to have them available even on shorter routes.
Besides, like you said, there aren't all that many flights to places like BAH, KWI and DOH, so you might lose more than you gain by operating A320s or something as well. Can you imagine a three-class A320? Could be a little tough.
I still find it strange that EK hasn't bought any narrow-bodied planes. If it were to operate B737s or A320s then EK would be able to offer more frequent regional flights. That's what the customer (and particularly the business person) would prefer and it would also allow better connections with EK's long-haul routes.
Look at DXB-JED. There's just two flights a day and both with B777s. EK departs DXB at 17.00 while SV leaves at 20.45. Using narrow-bodied planes would allow a better choice of timings.