Emirates

Emirates is the largest airline in the Middle East, and also the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates. 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. 

The company slogans are "Fly Emirates" and "Fly Better".

Emirates operates in more than 150 cities in 80 countries across six continents through its fleet of nearly 300 aircraft. Emirates operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft and it's one of the few airlines to operate an all-wide-body aircraft fleet (excluding Emirates Executive). As of September 2024, Emirates is the largest Airbus A380 operator with 117 aircraft in service and a further 5 on order. 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 142 aircraft in service. Cargo activities are undertaken by Emirates SkyCargo.

As the loyalty programme of Emirates and Flydubai, Emirates Skywards will change the way you experience the world. Being a member offers you benefits and experiences that will complement your lifestyle and make every trip more rewarding.

You can earn both Skywards Miles and Tier Miles on Emirates and Flydubai flights and add to your balance by buying, gifting or multiplying your Miles. 

As well as reward flights and upgrades on Emirates, you can spend your Miles with flydubai and worldwide partners of Emirates. Choose from flights with partner airlines, luxury hotel stays, fun‑filled family days out, or even tickets to a wide range of sporting and cultural events across the globe.
 
Your Miles will be valid for three years, so you’ll have plenty of time if you want to save up for something really special.
 
Emirates opens selected worldwide lounges: Emirates Business Class Lounge on Concourse B at Dubai International Airport is open with its full-service offering, and Emirates has a private lounge experience available for their customers flying in First Class. Entry is complimentary for First Class, Business Class and eligible Emirates Skywards customers, and you can also pay to enjoy the lounge of Emirates in Dubai. 

Focus on what interests you, catch up on the news, stay connected with complimentary Wi-Fi and don’t skip a beat in Business Centre - or network in bar areas, savour global flavours that take you places, taste your way around the world with a choice of gourmet dining options and enjoy exclusive beverages.

When you spend time in First Class Lounge in Dubai, you can enjoy special touches while you wait to board: Complimentary Wi-Fi, cigar bar, direct boarding, quiet area, Le Clos wine cellar.

Emirates A380 Business Class: Unwind in the perfect living space. Enjoy gourmet cuisine and over 4,500 channels of entertainment, or take a stroll to the onboard lounge. See why this isn’t just flying. It’s the Emirates A380.

Boeing 777 Business Class is a luxury down to the last stitch. Introducing Emirates redesigned 777 Business Class seat. Lie completely flat on the soft leather fabric and enjoy gourmet meals as you watch your favourite box set on the 23-inch HD TV.

During the mid-1980s, Gulf Air began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result, Emirates was conceived in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's royal family, with Pakistan International Airlines providing two of the airline's first aircraft on wet lease. With $10 million in start-up capital, it was required to operate independently of government subsidy. In 1985, Emirates operated its flights from Dubai to Karachi (Pakistan) and Mumbai (India), using a Boeing 737 as well as an Airbus 300. These jets were wet-leased from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Additionally, the airline had two Boeing 727-200s, which came from the Dubai Royal Family.

In its first 5 years of operations, Emirates grew its network to 14 destinations: 1985- Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi, 1986- Amman, Colombo, Cairo, Dhaka, 1987- Male, Frankfurt, Istanbul, 1988- Damascus, 1989- Jeddah, Kuwait.

In 1993, Emirates became the first airline to introduce telecommunications on an Airbus – in all three classes.

In 1998, Emirates Group took a 43% stake in Air Lanka (later renamed Sri Lankan), and signed a 10-year management contract. In the same year, the new Terminal 2 opened at Dubai International, expanding capacity at the airport by 2 million passengers per year.

In 2000, the Sheikh Rashid Terminal opened, increasing the capacity at Dubai International to 22 million passengers a year.

In 2004, Emirates signed a GBP100 million deal with English Premiership club Arsenal, including naming rights to its new stadium for 15 years and shirt sponsorship for eight years, starting from the 2006/07 season. Renewed in 2012 and 2018, this is the longest-running shirt partnership in the Premier League and one of the longest relationships in world sport.

In 2005, Emirates made history with an order for 42 Boeing 777s in a deal worth $9.7 billion. Today, Emirates is the world’s biggest operator of 777 aircraft.

In 2017, Emirates and Flydubai announced a strategic partnership, including an expansive codeshare agreement, schedule alignment and network optimisation. Emirates launches the world’s first fully enclosed first-class private suites, with unmatched luxury and privacy. This game changer, with design touches inspired by Mercedes Benz, was introduced in a global ad campaign fronted by TV celebrity and motoring expert, Jeremy Clarkson.

From 2010 to 2019 Emirate added the following routes connecting the world to, and through, Dubai: 2010- Tokyo-Narita, Amsterdam, Prague, Madrid, Dakar, Medina, 2011- Basra, Geneva, Copenhagen, St Petersburg, Baghdad, 2012- Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Lusaka, Harare, Dallas Fort Worth, Seattle, Ho Chi Minh, Barcelona, Lisbon, Washington DC, Adelaide, Lyon, Phuket, 2013- Warsaw, Algiers, Tokyo-Haneda, Stockholm, Clark, Conakry, Sialkot, Kabul, 2014- Taipei, Boston, Abuja, Chicago, Oslo, Brussels, Budapest, 2015- Bali, Orlando, Bologna, Istanbul via Sabiha Gokcen Airport, 2016- Cebu, Hanoi, Yangon, Fort Lauderdale, 2017- Newark, Zagreb, Phnom Penh, 2018- London Stansted, Santiago de Chile, Edinburgh, 2019- Porto, Mexico City.

Emirates is named the World’s Best Airline by Skytrax and certified as a 4-Star Airline for the quality of its airport and onboard products and staff service. Product rating includes seats, amenities, food & beverages, IFE, cleanliness etc, and service rating is for both cabin staff and ground staff.