The Emirates Story

The Emirates Story

On 25th October 1985, Emirates flew its first routes out of Dubai with just two aircraft—a leased Boeing 737 and an Airbus 300 B4. Then as now, our goal was quality, not quantity, and in the years since taking those first small steps onto the regional travel scene, Emirates has evolved into a globally influential travel and tourism conglomerate known the world over for our commitment to the highest standards of quality in every aspect of our business.

Though wholly owned by the Government of Dubai, Emirates has grown in scale and stature not through protectionism but through competition—competition with the ever-growing number of international carriers that take advantage of Dubai’s open-skies policy. Not only do we support that policy, but we see it as vital to maintaining our identity and our competitiveness. After making its initial start-up investment, the Government of Dubai saw fit to treat Emirates as a wholly independent business entity, and today we are thriving because of it. The airline has recorded an annual profit in every year since its third in operation.

Continuing our explosive growth while continually striving to provide the best service in the industry is the secret of Emirates’ success. The airline's business includes:

• An award-winning international cargo division
• A full-fledged destination management and leisure division
• An airline IT developer.

01.

The Emirates Group has spread its wings into every aspect of travel and tourism to become a leading global corporation in its field.

With one of the youngest fleets in the sky and more than 500 awards for excellence worldwide, Emirates airline is one of two key divisions in the group.

The other is dnata, which provides services in ground handling, cargo, travel, IT solutions and flight catering. Established in 1959, today, dnata is the world’s fourth largest combined air services provider with a global footprint extending to almost 40 countries.

Propelled forward by their united strength, the two have evolved at a phenomenal rate to establish the Emirates Group as an immense organisation, spanning a portfolio of more than 50 brands and employing over 62,000 people.