Emirates flies to more than 100 destinations in over 60 countries and has been fundamental in establishing Dubai as the Middle East’s commercial centre and aviation hub.
It operates more than 1,000 flights per week across six continents from its base at Dubai International airport, which has the capacity to handle 70 million passengers per year.
Emirates was launched in 1985 with two leased aircraft from a rudimentary airport. Its phenomenal growth is reflected in the 160-plus aircraft in its rapidly expanding fleet – a mix of the latest wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft - as well as Dubai’s state-of-the-art Emirates Terminal 3, which is used solely for the airline's flights.
Its fleet is one of the youngest in the skies, with an average age of under 80 months, and this figure will fall further as it takes delivery of the 200-plus aircraft it has on order, worth almost $84 billion at list price. Emirates is the Airbus A380 super-jumbo’s largest airline customer, with 20-plus in the air and over 60 still to be delivered.
In 2010-2011, Emirates - which has over 12,000 cabin crew of more than 125 nationalities who speak over 50 different languages - carried 31.4 million passengers, an increase of four million on the previous year.
In addition, Emirates is a major player in the airfreight industry, carrying 1.8 million tonnes of cargo in 2010-2011, an increase of 11.8 per cent on the previous 12 months, amounting to 17.4 per cent of the airline’s $1.5 billion net profit that year.
Emirates is wholly-owned by the Government of Dubai, but the airline is run on a commercial basis and receives no financial support or protection. Competing against established giants of aviation allowed to operate in Dubai under the government’s unconditional open skies policy, Emirates has thrived and been profitable in all but its second year of trading.
Emirates is renowned for leading market trends - personal entertainment systems in all seats, as well as private first-class suites, are among its many notable firsts.
It was also the first airline to offer passengers a facility to use their mobile phones, bolstering its in-flight services which were already heralded for the popular ice entertainment and communications system.
Awards & Accolades
Skytrax World Airline Awards - World's Best Airline Inflight Entertainment
Air Transport World Awards - Emirates named Airline of the Year
Skytrax World Airline Awards - World's Best Airline Inflight Entertainment (sixth consecutive year)