A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 25 March 1985 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 25 October 1985 | ||||||
| Hubs | Dubai International Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | Emirates Skywards | ||||||
| Subsidiaries |
| ||||||
| Fleet size | 250 | ||||||
| Destinations | 144[1] | ||||||
| Parent company | The Emirates Group | ||||||
| Headquarters | Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | ||||||
| Key people | |||||||
| Founder | Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum | ||||||
| Revenue |  US$ 33 billion (March 2024)[2] | ||||||
| Net income | US$ 4.68 billion (March 2024)[2] | ||||||
| Employees | 108,996 (30 September 2023)[2] | ||||||
| Website | emirates.com | ||||||
Emirates (Arabic: طَيَران الإمارات DMG: Ṭayarān Al-Imārāt) is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (the other being Etihad Airways). Based in Garhoud, Dubai, the airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is owned by the government of Dubai's Investment Corporation of Dubai.[3] It is the largest airline in the Middle East,[4] operating over 3,600 flights per week from its hub at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport. It operates to more than 150 cities in 80 countries across six continents on its fleet of nearly 300 aircraft.[5] Cargo activities are undertaken by Emirates SkyCargo.[6]
Emirates is the world's fourth-largest airline by scheduled revenue passenger-kilometers flown.[7] It is also the second-largest in terms of freight tonne-kilometers flown.
During the mid-1980s, Gulf Air began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result, Emirates was founded on 15 March 1985, with backing from Dubai's royal family and its first two aircraft provided by Pakistan International Airlines. With $10 million in start-up capital, it was required to operate independently of government subsidies. Pakistan International Airlines also provided free training facilities to Emirates' cabin crew at Karachi Airport. The airline was founded by Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the airline's present chairman. In the years following its founding, the airline rapidly expanded both its fleet and its destinations. In October 2008, Emirates moved all of its operations at Dubai International Airport to Terminal 3.[8]
Emirates operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft and is one of the few airlines to operate an all-wide-body aircraft fleet (excluding Emirates Executive).[9] As of December 2023[update], Emirates is the largest Airbus A380 operator with 123 aircraft in service.[10][11] Since its introduction, the Airbus A380 has become an integral part of the Emirates fleet, especially on long-haul, high-density routes. Emirates is also the world's largest Boeing 777 operator with 133 aircraft in service.[12]
History
Emirates was founded in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. In March 1985, Maurice Flanagan was tasked with the ambitious mission to launch an airline in 5 months with $10 million seed funding. He was told that the airline had to “look good, be good, and make money”. There would be no subsidies or aeropolitical protection under Dubai’s open skies policy.
On 3 July 1987, A6-EKA flew from Toulouse to Dubai as Emirates took delivery of its first owned aircraft, an Airbus A310-304.
During its early years, Emirates experienced strong growth, averaging 30% annually. The Gulf War helped boost business for the airline as it was the only airline to continue flying in the last ten days of the war. In 2000, the airline placed an order for a large number of aircraft, including the Boeing 777-300 and the Airbus A380, and also launched its frequent flyer program, Skywards.[13]
Since then, the airline has continued to expand its fleet and network, with a focus on operating flights to anywhere in the world via Dubai and competing with other major airlines on international routes. Its growth has attracted criticism from other carriers, who claim that the airline has unfair advantages and have called for an end to open-skies policies with the UAE as a result.[14][15] In 2017, Emirates "renewed its aircraft buying spree" and agreed to buy a number of Boeing's 787 Dreamliners for $15.1 billion. The Wall Street Journal described the deal as a "painful loss" for Airbus.[16] In 2023, Emirates ordered $50 billion of Boeing jets with their sister airline, flyDubai at the Dubai Airshow.[17] Emirates ordered 90 aircraft, including both versions of the new long-haul jet.[17]
Corporate management
The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is a subsidiary of the Dubai government's investment company, Investment Corporation of Dubai.[18][19][20] The airline has recorded a profit every year, except its second year, and the growth has never fallen below 20% a year. In its first 11 years, it doubled in size every 3.5 years, and has every four years since.[21]
In 2015, Emirates paid dividends worth AED2.6 billion (US$708 million), compared to AED1 billion (US$272 million) in 2014.[22] The government has received AED14.6 billion from Emirates since dividends started being paid in 1999 for having provided an initial start-up capital of US$10 million and an additional investment of about US$80 million at the time of the airline's inception.[23] The Dubai government is the sole owner of the company, but it does not put any new money into it, nor does it interfere with running the airline.[21]
Structure and employment
Emirates has diversified into related industries and sectors, including airport services, engineering, catering, and tour operator operations. Emirates has seven subsidiaries and its parent company has more than 50.[24][25] At the end of the fiscal year on 31 March 2020, the company employed a total of 59,519 staff, of which 21,789 were cabin crew, 4,313 were flight deck crew, 3,316 were in engineering, 12,627 were listed as other, 5,376 employees were at overseas stations, and 12,098 were at subsidiary companies.[2]: 72 The Emirates Group employed a total of 105,730 employees.[2]: 184
Emirates provides its employees with benefits such as comprehensive health plans and paid maternity and sick leave. Another strategy employed by Emirates is to use profit sharing and merit pay as part of its competency-based approach to performance management.[26] In 2023 and 2024, the group awarded its employees hefty bonuses as their share of the company's profits earned in those years. In 2023 employees got 24 weeks of pay[27] as they bonus and in 2024 they received 20 weeks of pay.[28]
Environmental record
The airline claims to have lower emissions than other airlines because its fleet has an average fuel burn of fewer than 4 litres for every 100 passenger–kilometers.[29] In 2023, the airline announced it would invest $200 million over three years to find research and development regarding the reduction of fossil fuels in commercial aviation, including investing in the development of fuel and energy alternatives and solutions.[30]
The key trends for Emirates are (as of the financial year ending 31 March):[31]
| Turnover (AED b) |
Net profit[a] (AED b) |
Passengers flown (m) |
Passenger load factor (%)[b] |
Cargo carried (000 tonnes) |
Number of A380 |
Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 4.0 | 0.26 | 3.6 | 70.0 | 200 | — | |
| 1999 | 4.4 | 0.31 | 4.2 | 74.5 | 214 | — | |
| 2000 | 5.1 | 0.30 | 4.7 | 71.9 | 269 | — | |
| 2001 | 6.3 | 0.42 | 5.7 | 75.1 | 335 | — | |
| 2002 | 7.1 | 0.46 | 6.7 | 74.3 | 401 | — | |
| 2003 | 9.5 | 0.90 | 8.5 | 76.6 | 525 | — | |
| 2004 | 13.1 | 1.5 | 10.4 | 73.4 | 660 | — | |
| 2005 | 17.9 | 2.4 | 12.5 | 74.6 | 838 | — | |
| 2006 | 22.6 | 2.4 | 14.4 | 75.9 | 1,019 | — | |
| 2007 | 29.1 | 3.0 | 17.5 | 76.2 | 1,156 | — | |
| 2008 | 38.8 | 5.0 | 21.2 | 79.8 | 1,282 | — | |
| 2009 | 43.2 | 0.68 | 22.7 | 75.8 | 1,408 | 4 | |
| 2010 | 43.4 | 3.5 | 27.4 | 78.1 | 1,580 | 8 | |
| 2011 | 54.2 | 5.3 | 31.4 | 80.0 | 1,767 | 15 | |
| 2012 | 62.2 | 1.5 | 33.9 | 80.0 | 1,796 | 21 |