Emirates

Sector: Aviation

Country: UAE

Emirates Airline continues its impressive growth trajectory, posting record financial results and expanding its global footprint in 2024–25. Headquartered in Dubai, Emirates now serves 148 cities across 80 countries, and offers the world’s largest inventory of international First Class private suites averaging 26,800 suites weekly aboard its A380s and Boeing 777s.

In the 2024–25 fiscal year, Emirates achieved a 3 per cent increase in passenger revenue, reaching Dhs103.8bn, driven by strong demand and substantial investments in premium services, sponsorships, and customer experience. Overall revenue surged to a record Dhs128bn, while net profit soared 20 per cent to Dhs21.2bn  reflecting a robust profit margin of 14.9 per cent.

This success was fuelled by increased air travel demand, a rebound in cargo operations, lower fuel prices, and high customer satisfaction across all cabin classes. Emirates Skywards loyalty programme surpassed 35 million members, and its strategic partnership with flydubai achieved a record 5 million joint travellers in 2024 marking a 36 per cent increase over the previous year.To meet rising demand, Emirates expanded its capacity by 4 per cent, reaching 60 billion available tonne kilometres (ATKMs), with a healthy seat load factor of 78.9 per cent.

The airline launched new routes to Bogotá and Madagascar, resumed services to Phnom Penh, Lagos, Adelaide, and Edinburgh, and enhanced services to 21 other destinations. Emirates also expanded its partnership network, offering customers seamless access to over 1,750 cities via 33 codeshare and 118 interline agreements.

Despite delays in new aircraft deliveries, Emirates committed to a $5bn retrofit programme, adding 99 aircraft for full cabin upgrades bringing the total to 219. A landmark moment came with the arrival of A6-EXA, the first Airbus A350 to join Emirates’ fleet in 16 years. By March 2025, four A350s had been delivered, with 61 more expected over the coming years.

The airline also prioritised customer experience on the ground, investing Dhs63mn to upgrade its Emirates Lounge offering and launching its premium Emirates World retail store in eight global cities.

Additionally, Emirates became the world’s first Autism Certified Airline, aligning with Dubai’s goal to be the world’s most accessible travel hub. In Africa, Emirates increased flight frequencies to key cities and launched service to Madagascar, reinforcing its focus on the continent’s emerging markets. With 161 weekly flights from 19 African countries and extended connectivity through five codeshare and 18 interline partners, Emirates now connects customers to over 210 destinations across Africa.