Purpose of Flight Number Change?
 

Not an intensive flyer of EK, so I thought I'd pose a question regarding flight number changes. I've purchased a ticket which includes flight EK 654 on February 9. My TA informed me yesterday that the flight number has been changed to EK 8654. No changes in equipment, flight times, etc.

Looking at Expertflyer, it shows that EK 654 has been cancelled and actually doesn't show the new flight being added. What potentially could be the reason for a seemingly meaningless flight number change?

My guess would be that it has been changed to a codeshare with the actual flight now being operated by Sri Lankan. Emirates still holds a minority stake in Sri Lankan, so I think it must be something like that. This has happened to me before when going KUL-VIE. It was airline code OS but operated by NG. On top of it all the equipment was LH.

I've noticed that when a flight is delayed / cancelled and operates the next day, its flight number often adds an '8'.

Seems a long way out for that to be the case here, however.

Don't think it's a codeshare, as the SriLankan only has Airbuses and this is still a 777-200. I've just looked at the Emirates site again and now it is showing:

* DXB-MLE Subject to Government Approval ON Tu

Does anyone think I have reason to be concerned about this? I've got seaplane transfers and hotel reservations that I can't afford to get screwed up because of this.

Dont worry about it. I am in MLE today and there is another crazzy flight number operating tiday of EK3660 which was an EK flight- there must be some internal reasoning --

Seen this also on days that the DXB-MRU flight operated with a 330 the flight number was 3701/3702 on those days instead of just the 701/702 on the days with the 777 --

Even Emirates still hold a 49% stake of SriLankan Airlines they do absolutely not code share. Emirates are not on friendly terms with SriLankan Airlines since Peter Hill was told to leave Sri Lanka.

Further SriLankan Airlines do not have any flights between Dubai and Male.

My guess is the pending government approval. EK654 is not bookable online on 9th February.

If I were you I would contact your nearest Emirates office.