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Emirates (
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
: طيران الإمارات
Ṭayarān al-Imārāt) (also known as
Fly Emirates) is a
major airlineMajor carrier or major airline carrier is a designation given by the United States Department of Transportation to U.S.-based airlines that post more than $1 billion in revenue during a fiscal year.As of 2008, the major carriers are the following:...
in the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and a subsidiary of
The Emirates GroupThe Emirates Group is a public international travel and tourism conglomerate holding company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Emirates Group comprises Dnata, an aviation services company providing ground handling services at 17 airports and Emirates Airline, the largest airline in...
. It is the national airline of
DubaiDubai is one of the seven emirates and the most populous state of the United Arab Emirates . It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. The Dubai Municipality is sometimes called Dubai state to distinguish it from the emirate...
,
United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras...
and operates over 1,990 passenger flights per week, from its hub at
Dubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
, to
91 destinationsEmirates flies to 91 destinations in 55 countries on six continents from its primary hub in Dubai. It has a particularly strong presence in the Southeast Asian region, which together, connects Dubai with more international destinations in the region than any other Middle Eastern airline...
in 55 countries across 6 continents. The company also operates four of the world's longest
non-stop commercial flightsA non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops. A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight"...
from Dubai to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
,
São PauloSão Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and the world's 7th largest metropolitan area. The city is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. It is also the richest city in Brazil. The name of the city honors Saint Paul. São Paulo exerts strong regional influence in...
, Houston, and San Francisco, all on the Boeing 777-200LR. Emirates is a subsidiary of
The Emirates GroupThe Emirates Group is a public international travel and tourism conglomerate holding company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Emirates Group comprises Dnata, an aviation services company providing ground handling services at 17 airports and Emirates Airline, the largest airline in...
, which has over 40,000 employees, and is wholly-owned by the
Government of DubaiPolitics of the United Arab Emirates takes place in a framework of a federal, presidential, elected monarchy. The UAE is a federation of seven absolute monarchies: the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, Ras al-Khaimah and Umm al-Qaiwain...
directly under the Investment Corporation of Dubai. Cargo activities are undertaken by the Emirates Group's
Emirates SkyCargoEmirates SkyCargo is a cargo airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and operates from its hub at Dubai International Airport. It is the air freight division of Emirates which started operations in October 1985, the same year Emirates was formed. Since then it has been the main cargo division...
division.
During the mid-1980s,
Gulf AirGulf Air is the main flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Headquartered in Muharraq, the airline operates scheduled services to 45 destinations in 28 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe. Its main base is Bahrain International Airport. The company's logo features a golden falcon...
began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result
Emirates was conceived in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's
royal familyAl Maktoum is the family name of the ruling dynasty of the emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Al Maktoum family is a branch of the Bani Yas tribe , a powerful bedouin clan from the interior...
, whose Dubai Royal Air Wing provided two of the airline's first aircraft. It was required to operate independent of government subsidies, apart from $10 million in start-up capital. The airline became headed by
Ahmed bin Saeed Al MaktoumSheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum is the President of the Department of Civil Aviation and Chief Executive and Chairman of The Emirates Group.- Background:...
, the airline's present chairman.
In the years following its founding, the airline expanded both its fleet and its destinations.
In October 2008, Emirates moved all operations at Dubai International Airport to Terminal 3, a new terminal exclusively dedicated to Emirates.
Emirates operates a mixed fleet of
AirbusAirbus
SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Toulouse, France, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners.Airbus began as a consortium of aerospace manufacturers...
and
BoeingThe Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Its international headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois, since 2001...
wide-body aircraft and is one of only six airlines to operate an all
wide-body aircraftA wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical widebody economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 600 passengers...
fleet. The centrepiece of the airline's fleet is the
Boeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The world's largest twinjet and commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven", the aircraft can carry between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a range from...
; with 77 aircraft, Emirates is the largest operator of the type in the world. Emirates also has orders for 58 Airbus A380s and became the second operator of the Airbus A380-800 when their first aircraft was delivered on 28 July 2008. Emirates has won numerous awards and is an industry
bellwetherA bellwether is any entity in a given arena that serves to create or influence trends or to presage future happenings.The term is derived from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram leading its flock of sheep.The movements of...
for aircraft purchases, purchasing over 130 aircraft in 2007 alone.
The airline ranks amongst the top 10 carriers worldwide in terms of
revenueIn business, revenue or revenues is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. Some companies also receive revenue from interest, dividends or royalties paid to them by other companies...
,
passengerA passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination.There are two common contexts in which the term is used:...
kilometres, and has become the largest airline in the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in terms of
revenueIn business, revenue or revenues is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. Some companies also receive revenue from interest, dividends or royalties paid to them by other companies...
, fleet size, and passengers carried as of 2007. In 2009 the airline was the seventh-largest
airlineAn airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit.Airlines vary...
in the world in terms of international passengers carried, and fourth-largest in the world in terms of scheduled international passenger-kilometres flown.
Emirates has built up a strong brand name as a trendsetter in the aviation industry, particularly in terms of service excellence, coupled with consistent profitability.
In 2009, Emirates was voted the fifth best
airlineAn airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit.Airlines vary...
in the world by research consultancy firm
SkytraxSkytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services. It conducts research for commercial airlines. It carries out international-traveller surveys to find the best cabin staff, airport, airline, airline lounge, in-flight entertainment, on-board catering, and...
.
Origins
During the mid-1980s,
Gulf AirGulf Air is the main flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Headquartered in Muharraq, the airline operates scheduled services to 45 destinations in 28 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe. Its main base is Bahrain International Airport. The company's logo features a golden falcon...
began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result Emirates was conceived in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's royal family, whose Dubai Royal Air Wing provided two of the airline's first aircraft, used Boeing 727-200/Advs. It was required to operate independent of government subsidies, apart from $10 million in start-up capital. It also leased a new Boeing 737-300 from
Pakistan International AirlinesPakistan International Airlines Corporation, more commonly known as PIA , is the flag carrier airline of Pakistan, headquartered in Karachi. It is the 31st largest airline in Asia, operating scheduled services to 23 domestic destinations and 36 international destinations in 25 countries across...
which was returned back in 1987.
The first flight of the airline was,
DubaiDubai is one of the seven emirates and the most populous state of the United Arab Emirates . It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. The Dubai Municipality is sometimes called Dubai state to distinguish it from the emirate...
-
Karachiis the largest city, main seaport and the financial capital of Pakistan, and the capital of the province of Sindh. It is the 3rd largest city in the world by population and 20th largest city of the world, in terms of metropolitan population. It is Pakistan's premier centre of banking, industry, and...
on 25 October 1985. The airline leased an
Airbus 300B4-200The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody aircraft. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS. The A300 ceased production in July 2007, along with the smaller...
, from
Pakistan International AirlinesPakistan International Airlines Corporation, more commonly known as PIA , is the flag carrier airline of Pakistan, headquartered in Karachi. It is the 31st largest airline in Asia, operating scheduled services to 23 domestic destinations and 36 international destinations in 25 countries across...
. Bombay and
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
were the next destinations for the airline.
Emirates became profitable within its first nine months. During its first year, it carried about 260,000 passengers and 10,000 tons of freight. By 1986, the airline was adding new destinations such as
ColomboColombo is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the capital city of Sri Lanka. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins and a city...
,
DhakaDhaka , is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia...
,
AmmanAmman , sometimes spelled Ammann , is the capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a city of 2,525,000 inhabitants , and the administrative capital and commercial center of Jordan. It is also the largest city in Jordan. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world...
, and
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
to its route network. Emirates launched daily nonstop service to
London GatwickLondon Gatwick Airport is London's second largest international airport and second busiest in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. In 2008, it was the world's 28th-busiest airport in terms of passenger numbers and 9th busiest in terms of international passengers...
on 6 July 1987 with two new
Airbus A310The Airbus A310 is a medium to long-range widebody airliner. Launched in 1978, it was the second aircraft created by the Airbus consortium of European aerospace companies, which is now fully owned by EADS. The A310 is a shortened derivative of the A300, the first twin-engined widebody airliner...
s. It also started flights to
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
. The airline in 1987 added
FrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2008 population of 670,000. The urban area had an estimated population of 2.26 million in 2001...
via
IstanbulIstanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...
, and
MaleMale refers to the sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
(Maldive Islands). Emirates lacked a regional network, as its main competitor
Gulf AirGulf Air is the main flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Headquartered in Muharraq, the airline operates scheduled services to 45 destinations in 28 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe. Its main base is Bahrain International Airport. The company's logo features a golden falcon...
also dominated traffic in the region.
This growth came as the region was experiencing a downturn, with the
Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , known also as the Gulf War, the First Gulf War,or often as the Second Gulf War and by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as The Mother of all Battles, or commonly as Desert Storm, for the military response...
and the laying off of expatriate workers as factors. In its second year, competitors had accused Emirates of starting a
price warPrice war is a term used in business to indicate a state of intense competitive rivalry accompanied by a multi-lateral series of price reduction. One competitor will lower its price, then others will lower their prices to match. If one of them reduces their price again, a new round of reductions...
, something the airline's competitors still accuse Emirates of doing. By the end of 1987, Emirates was serving 11 destinations.
Incorporation and growth
Emirates had become one of the world's fastest growing airlines by the early 1990s. Revenues increased by about $100 million each year, approaching $500 million in the year 1993. It carried 68,000 tons of cargo and 1.6 million passengers in the same year. The
Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , known also as the Gulf War, the First Gulf War,or often as the Second Gulf War and by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as The Mother of all Battles, or commonly as Desert Storm, for the military response...
had helped Emirates by keeping other airlines out of the area. Emirates was the only airline to continue flying in the last ten days of the war.
A partnership agreement with
US AirwaysUS Airways, Inc., an operating unit of US Airways Group, is the fifth largest airline in the United States.A member of the Star Alliance, the airline has a fleet of 353 mainline jet aircraft and 319 regional jet and turbo-prop aircraft connecting 200 destinations in North America, Central America,...
entered in the fall of 1993 allowed Emirates to offer services around the world. It previously had cooperation agreements with
Cyprus AirwaysCyprus Airways is the national airline of Cyprus, based in Nicosia. It operates scheduled services to over 30 destinations in Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf...
. By 1994, the airline was connecting 32 destinations with its 15 aircraft. At this time Emirates was the sixth largest airline in the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Emirates took in revenues of $643.4 million in the year ending 30 March 1994. The airline had 4,000 employees and carried two million passengers a year between 34 destinations with a fleet of 18
AirbusAirbus
SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Toulouse, France, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners.Airbus began as a consortium of aerospace manufacturers...
aircraft. Seven new
Boeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The world's largest twinjet and commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven", the aircraft can carry between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a range from...
s worth over $1 billion were ordered in 1992 which began to arrive in the spring of 1996. One of the planes was used on a new service to
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
via
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
. Emirates placed a large order with Airbus later the same year. In spite of the large capital expenditures, the Dubai government had laid out only $50 million since the airline's inception.
A total of 92 air carriers were flying to markets internationally and Emirates faced intense competition at its home base. It carried about three million passengers a year to
Dubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
in the mid-1990s. Emirates continued to expand during the late 1990s. The growing cargo business accounted for 16 percent of the airline's total revenues.
In May 1998, Emirates paid the Sri Lankan government $70 million for a 40 percent stake in Air Lanka (later changed its name to
SriLankan AirlinesSriLankan Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Sri Lanka. It operates a fleet of 13 Airbus aircraft to destinations in Asia and Europe from its main base and hub at Colombo - Bandaranaike International Airport...
). Emirates received part management rights as the Sri Lankan flag carrier was heavily in debt and needed new capital to upgrade its outdated fleet. In January 2008, Emirates announced that it would pass the management of SriLankan Airlines to the
Sri Lankan governmentPolitics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Sri Lanka is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both...
in April 2008 however there are no plans to remove or decrease the stake in the airline.
Modern history
Towards the end of the year 2000, Emirates was planning to start ultra-long-haul service to the East Coast and West Coast of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as well as nonstop flights to
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
and
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
. Traffic continued to grow at a rate of 20 percent in 1999-2000.
In 2005, Emirates began flying non-stop to New York City's
John F. Kennedy International AirportJohn F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in Queens County, New York in southeastern New York City about 12 miles from Lower Manhattan...
using their new Airbus A340-500. These flights marked new non-stop air services between the
United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras...
and the USA, after Delta Airlines's flights since 2001, terminated later and restarted again in 2007.
South Asia is an important region for the Emirates network.
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
was the first country to receive flights from the airline and it still does to this day.
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
was the second country to receive flights from Emirates, and continues to expand an extensive network in India. Emirates is the largest airline operating internationally, in India, and operates over 185 flights a week across 10 cities.
Emirates has been steadily capturing the traffic from
South AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east...
to
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
, allowing passengers to bypass the traditional hubs of London Heathrow,
FrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2008 population of 670,000. The urban area had an estimated population of 2.26 million in 2001...
, and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport; the home bases of
British AirwaysBritish Airways plc is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport and is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations. Its second hub is London Gatwick...
,
LufthansaDeutsche Lufthansa AG is the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried, and the flag carrier of Germany. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fifth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried,...
, and
Air FranceAir France is a French airline headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, France , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
, with a transit stop at
Dubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
instead. Similarly, Emirates competes with
British AirwaysBritish Airways plc is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport and is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations. Its second hub is London Gatwick...
,
Cathay PacificCathay Pacific Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its headquarters and main hub at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline also operates fifth freedom flights from Bangkok and Taipei, its major focus cities...
,
QantasQantas Airways Limited is the national airline of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an acronym for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport. It is Australia's largest...
,
Singapore AirlinesSingapore Airlines Limited is the state-owned national airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Singapore Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
,
Thai Airways InternationalThai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national air carrier of Thailand, operating out of Suvarnabhumi Airport, and is a founding member of the Star Alliance network. It is headquartered in Bangkok. Thai is a major shareholder which hold 39% shares of Nok Air - a low-cost...
, and other airlines on the lucrative London to Sydney
Kangaroo RouteThe Kangaroo Route traditionally refers to air routes flown by Qantas between the countries of Australia and the United Kingdom, via the Eastern Hemisphere...
.
Airbus A380
Emirates announced an order in April 2000 as the first launch customer for the Airbus A3XX (later named
Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25...
), the largest civil aircraft ever built. The deal comprised five Airbus A380-800s and two Airbus A380-800F. The deal was confirmed on 4 November 2001 and Emirates announced orders for 15 more A380-800s at the same time. Two years later Emirates once again ordered 21 A380-800s. In April 2006, Emirates ordered two more A380-800s, however they cancelled their two orders for the freighter variant. In 2007, Emirates ordered 15 A380-800s, bringing their order to 58. Emirates justified its order saying that purchasing the 481- to 656-passenger super jumbo to was to maximize its use of scarce takeoff and landing slots at crowded airports like London Heathrow.
In November 2005, the first A380-800 in full Emirates livery was flown to Dubai, where it was displayed at
Dubai AirshowThe Dubai Airshow is a biennial show held in Dubai, UAE. It is organized by "Fairs & Exhibitions Ltd" since the year 1989; in cooperation with the Government of Dubai, the Department of Civil Aviation and Dubai International Airport in collaboration with the UAE Union Defense Forces.The Dubai...
2005.
On 20 November 2005, Emirates ordered 42
Boeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The world's largest twinjet and commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven", the aircraft can carry between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a range from...
s, to help with its expansion. This order came one day after Airbus announced that the A380-800 superjumbo would be delayed by another six months.
A third delay was announced on 3 October 2006, pushing the initial delivery of the first A380-800 to October 2007.
The announcement was met with anger by EK's
chief executive officerA chief executive officer or chief executive is one of the highest-ranking corporate officers or administrators in charge of total management...
, Tim Clark, who threatened to cancel their Airbus order as it was affecting the airline's expansion plan, saying:
{{cquote |It's very serious. This will do us serious damage. Compensation is not our target, what we really seek is to give a chance for Airbus to deliver what they promised so that we can assess, because we need that aircraft}}
In total as of April 2008,
AirbusAirbus
SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Toulouse, France, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners.Airbus began as a consortium of aerospace manufacturers...
paid as much as $110 million during 2007 in compensation for the late delivery of the A380-800 to Emirates for the delays.
On 1 August 2008 Emirates flew its first A380-800 flight, with 489 passengers, from Dubai to New York City's
John F. Kennedy International AirportJohn F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in Queens County, New York in southeastern New York City about 12 miles from Lower Manhattan...
.
The airline now uses their Airbus A380-800 on flights to
BangkokBangkok is the capital, largest urban area and primary city of Thailand. Known in Thai as Krung Thep Mahanakhon , or กรุงเทพฯ Krung Thep for short, it was a small trading post at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It came to the forefront of Siam when it was given the...
,
SydneySydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City"...
,
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
,
AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population approaching 1.4 million residents, percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest...
, and London Heathrow.
Flights to
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands. At , Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast...
,
SeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities. The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of Incheon and most of Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million...
, are set to begin in December and
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in February 2010.
In February 2009, Emirates raised many issues concerning its A380 superjumbos. Emirates gave a 46-page presentation in Toulouse, informing Airbus officials about heat-damaged power cables, defective engines and numerous malfunctions reportedly to be mainly caused by the two showers built in the aircraft.
Terminal 3
{{Main|Dubai International Airport#Terminal 3}}
{{externalvideo|video1=
A promotional video used by Emirates on Terminal 3}}
Dubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
's Terminal 3 was built exclusively for the use of Emirates at a cost of $4.5 billion and officially opened 14 October 2008. Terminal 3 is the
largest building in the world by floor space, with over {{convert|1500000|m2|acre|abbr=on}} of space. The Terminal has annual capacity of 27 million passengers, and with the expansion of Concourse 3, will have an annual capacity of 43 million passengers by 2011, once concourse 3 is complete.
The new concourse 3 will be exclusively for the A380- 800.
Corporate management
The airline is a
subsidiaryA subsidiary, in business matters, is an entity that is controlled by a separate entity. The controlled entity is called a company, corporation, or limited liability company and in some cases can be a government or state-owned enterprise, and the controlling entity is called its parent...
of
The Emirates GroupThe Emirates Group is a public international travel and tourism conglomerate holding company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Emirates Group comprises Dnata, an aviation services company providing ground handling services at 17 airports and Emirates Airline, the largest airline in...
, which is a subsidiary of the Dubai government investment company, Investment Corporation of Dubai.
The airline has recorded a profit every year, except the second, and 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.
In 2008 Emirates payed dividends worth US$776 million to the Government of Dubai.
The government has received Dhs3.1 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
investmentInvestment or investing is a term with several closely-related meanings in business management, finance and economics, related to saving or deferring consumption. Investing is the active redirection of resources: from being consumed today, to creating benefits in the future; the use of assets to...
of about US$80 million at the time of the airline's inception, the Dubai government is the sole owner of the company. However, it does not put any new money into it, nor does it interfere with running the airline.
Structure and employment
Emirates has diversified into related industries and sectors, including airport services,
engineeringEngineering is the discipline, art and profession of acquiring and applying technical, scientific and mathematical knowledge to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that safely realize a desired objective or inventions.The American Engineers' Council...
, hospitality services,
cateringCatering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose. Mobile catering is common at outdoor events , workplaces, and downtown business districts.-Event catering:Event ranges...
, and
tour operatorA tour operator typically combines tour and travel components to create a holiday. The most common example of a tour operator's product would be a flight on a charter airline plus a transfer from the airport to a hotel and the services of a local representative, all for one price. Niche tour...
operations. Emirates has 4 subsidiaries and its parent company has more than 50.
Emirates employed a total of 28,037 staff at the end of the fiscal year on 31 March 2009. Its parent company,
The Emirates GroupThe Emirates Group is a public international travel and tourism conglomerate holding company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Emirates Group comprises Dnata, an aviation services company providing ground handling services at 17 airports and Emirates Airline, the largest airline in...
, employed a total of 48,246 employees of which 10,324 were cabin crew, 2,141 were flight deck crew, 1,849 were in engineering, and 9,379 were listed as other.
Subsidiaries
{{main|Emirates subsidiaries}}
Emirates has diversified in to related industries and sectors, including aircraft ground handling, aviation engineering, air catering, and tour operator operations. Emirates has over 6 subsidiaries, whilst its parent company has over 50.
Financial and operational performance
In the financial year 2008-09 reached passenger numbers reached 22.7 million, representing an increase of 7.1% over the previous year. Cargo carried in 2008-09 improved by 9.8% to 1,408,300 tonnes (2007-08: 1,282,134 tonnes).
The airline's profits however were down 72% for the 2008/09 fiscal year. Its profit of 1.49bn dirhams ($406m; £255m) for the year to March 31 compared with a 5.3bn dirham profit for the previous year.
The airline was the seventh-largest
airlineAn airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit.Airlines vary...
in the world in terms of international passengers carried, and fourth-largest in the world in terms of scheduled international passenger-kilometres flown. It is also the seventh-largest in terms of scheduled freight tonne-kilometres flown (sixth in scheduled international freight tonne-kilometres flown).
Branding
{{externalvideo|video1=
A promotional video launched in 2008, to promote the airline's new First Class Airbus A380-800 product}}
From 2004, the airline changed its slogan to
Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering In 2008, Emirates launched a slogan mainly revolving around their route network of 91 destinations in 55 countries across six continents -
Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering and
Fly Emirates. To over Six Continents.
- The Finest in the Sky
- Be Good to yourself. Fly Emirates
- When was the last time you did something for the first time.
- Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering
Emirates introduced a new design in August 2008 for its 16,000 uniformed staff, designed by Simon Jersey plc. The offboard uniform includes the Emirates hat, red kick-pleats in the skirts, more fitted blouses and the return of red leather shoes and handbags. For the onboard uniform, male and female cabin crew wear service waistcoats in place of the previously worn service jackets and tabards. The male flight attendants wear a chocolate brown suit, featuring pinstripes, with a cream shirt and a caramel, honey and red tie. Both male and female Pursers wear this chocolate brown color, but with no red featured.
Since its formation in 1985, though to a limited extent until all aircraft were repainted, Emirates aeroplanes carried a section of the
United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras...
flag on the tail fins, a
calligraphyCalligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of writing . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
of the logo in Arabic on the engines and the "Emirates" logo on the fuselage both in Arabic and
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
. The colour scheme used since 1985 was changed in November 1999 to the one still in use today. This change saw the modification of logotype, the enlargement and move of the English logo (the Arabic remaining smaller) towards the front of the aircraft and a different, flowing flag on the tailfin.
Some newer aircraft such as the Airbus A380-800, have the Emirates logo painted on the belly of the aircraft. Emirates aircraft also have the
Fifa World CupThe FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
logo on them, as Emirates is the official airline sponsor.
Destinations
{{Main|Emirates destinations}}
Emirates operates 1,883 flights every week across its network of 91 destinations in 55 countries on six continents from its hub in
DubaiDubai is one of the seven emirates and the most populous state of the United Arab Emirates . It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. The Dubai Municipality is sometimes called Dubai state to distinguish it from the emirate...
. Several new destinations are added each year.
Codeshare agreements
Emirates has code-sharing partnerships with 14 airlines as of 29 July 2009:
Emirates is in codeshare with
V AustraliaVirgin Blue International Airlines Pty Ltd, trading as V Australia, is a long haul international airline owned by Virgin Blue Holdings Limited...
On Trans Tasman Route(Starting 25 October)
In March 2008 Emirates ceased its codeshare agreement with SriLankan Airlines.
Fleet
{{Main|Emirates Fleet}}
Emirates operates an exclusively wide-bodied aircraft fleet making up from 3 aircraft families: the
Airbus A330The Airbus A330 is a large-capacity, wide-body, twin-engine, medium-to-long-range commercial passenger airliner. Built at Toulouse in France by Airbus, over 600 units have been delivered....
/
A340The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engined wide-body commercial passenger airliner manufactured by Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It seats between 261 and 380 passengers, and has a range between 6,700 and 9,000 NM . It is similar in design to the twin-engined A330...
,
Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25...
and the
Boeing 777The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The world's largest twinjet and commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven", the aircraft can carry between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a range from...
.
In keeping with its policy of maintaining a young fleet, which stands at an average of 5.7 years in April 2008, it renews its fleet frequently. It operates the youngest fleet of any major airline as of May 2009. On 30 July 2009, Emirates received its 45th Boeing 777-300ER making it the world's largest operator of Boeing 777s.
In July 2008, Emirates received its first Airbus A380-800 and in August 2008, it became the second airline to fly the Airbus A380-800, after
Singapore AirlinesSingapore Airlines Limited is the state-owned national airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Singapore Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
.
Emirates Aircraft utilisation remains one of the highest in the industry at 13.7 hours per day.
Speaking at the recent IATA 2009 annual general meeting in
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur , is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of , has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Tim Clark, Emirates's CEO, said that they would be operating around 163 aircraft in three years, and that they have to consider the 58 aircraft that are to be retired within the coming years, including the A330-200, A340-300 and 777-200/-300 Classics.
Passenger
The Emirates passenger aircraft fleet consists of the following widebody aircraft as of August 2009:
Emirates Fleet
| Aircraft |
Total |
Orders |
OptionsAn option, when purchasing aircraft, allows an airline to purchase additional aircraft in the future at an agreed price and date.When placing orders for new aircraft, airlines commonly obtain options from the aircraft manufacturer, for example Airbus or Boeing...
|
Passengers
(First/Business/Economy) |
Routes |
| Airbus A330-200 |
29 |
– |
– |
237 (12/42/183)
278 (0/27/251) |
Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East |
| Airbus A340-300 |
8 |
– |
– |
267 (12/42/213) |
Africa, Europe, Middle East |
| Airbus A340-500 |
10 |
– |
– |
258 (12/42/204) |
Asia, Europe, Oceania |
| Airbus A350-900 |
– |
50 |
50 |
TBD |
TBD |
| Airbus A350-1000 |
– |
20 |
– |
TBD |
TBD |
| Airbus A380-800 |
5 |
53 |
– |
489 (14/76/399) |
Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America |
| Boeing 777-200 |
3 |
– |
– |
290 (12/42/236)
346 (0/42/304) |
Europe, Asia, Middle East |
| Boeing 777-200ER |
6 |
– |
– |
290 (12/42/236) |
Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania |
| Boeing 777-200LR |
10 |
– |
– |
266 (8/42/216) |
Asia, North America, Oceania, South America |
| Boeing 777-300 |
12 |
– |
– |
380 (18/42/320)
434 (0/49/385) |
Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East, Oceania |
| Boeing 777-300ER |
46 |
27 |
– |
354 (8/42/304)
358 (12/42/304)
364 (12/42/310)
427 (0/42/385)
442 (0/42/400) |
Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East, North America, Oceania, |
| Total |
129 |
150 [Emirates ordered 30 A330-300 and 30 A350XWBs which were just a Letter of Intent and NOT firm orders according to the Airbus Orders and Deliveries Press Release dated May 2009.] |
50 |
|