Emirates Airline
| Emirates | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| IATA EK |
ICAO UAE |
Callsign EMIRATES |
| Founded | 1985 | |
| Hubs | Dubai International Airport | |
| Frequent flyer program | Skywards | |
| Member lounge | Emirates Worldwide First and Business Class Lounges | |
| Fleet size | 110 + 226 orders including Emirates SkyCargo = 336 aircarft | |
| Destinations | 94 Cities in 60 Countries | |
| Parent company | The Emirates Group | |
| Company slogan | Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering. | |
| Headquarters | ||
| Key people | Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (Chairman/CEO) Maurice Flanagan (Executive Vice-Chairman Emirates Airline and Group) Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline |
|
| Website: http://www.emirates.com | ||
Emirates Airline (shortened form: Emirates) (Arabic: طيران
الإماراتTayarān al-Imārāt) is an airline based in
More than 50 per cent of all flight movements in and out of Dubai International Airport are Emirates aircraft. By 2010, that figure is expected to rise to 70 per cent. During the 2006/07 financial year, Emirates carried 17.5 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo.[2]
Emirates has built up a strong brand, has received many awards, and is an industry bellwether for aircraft purchases,[3] as a trendsetter[4] in terms of service, innovation, and safety.
It is the tenth largest airline in Asia and ranked ninth in the world in terms of international passengers carried.[5]
Emirates will ask for new flyover rights over Russia that would shorten its course to the West Coast of the United States.
Emirates has become the largest carrier within the Middle East region. By mid-2006, Emirates was serving 18 cities in the Middle East with 175 flights a week. Emirates, which hopes to take delivery of Airbus A380 super jumbos in 2008, also invested Dh73 million to expand its crew training facility at the Emirates Training Centre. In order to serve its expanding operations the airline has been hiring new cabin crew as larger aircraft, like the A380 will need more crew.
The airline has diversified into ground handling, aviation engineering, air catering, and travel tour marketing. Air freight operations are handled by a subsidiary, Emirates SkyCargo, which leased the freighter fleet from Emirates and manages the cargo holds in all Emirates aircraft.
Emirates will have 54 Boeing 777-300ERs by 2011, and 55 Airbus A380's by 2012 making it the single largest aircraft type in fleet. Emirates, with a 70 per cent share of all new Middle Eastern orders for long-haul aircraft, plans to triple its capacity over the next eight years. Emirates receives one to two aircraft every month. For the financial of 2007 Emirates recieved 13 new aircraft, and is expecting another 23 aircraft for the year 2008 which includes 4 Airbus A380's upgrading it's fleet to well over 135 aircraft by the end of 2008.
History
Emirates flies 35 times a week to London Heathrow, using the Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777-300 aircraft. The airline was established in May 1985 by the Dubai government. It started operations with flights to Karachi and Mumbai followed by Delhi in September. A single Airbus A300 and a Boeing 737-300 were leased from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Subsequently two Boeing 727-200 Advanced were acquired from the UAE's Royal Flight. These aircraft were used until Emirates began taking delivery of a fleet of newly built Airbus A300-600R and Airbus A310-300 widebodied aircraft.
The first European destination to be added in July 1987 was London Gatwick Airport and Far Eastern operations commenced to Singapore in June 1990. Emirates acquired a financial stake of 40% and a management contract for Air Lanka on 1 April, 1998, which subsequently changed its name to SriLankan Airlines. Emirates received the airline of the year award for the first time in 2001 and repeated the feat in 2002. Emirates Airlines is wholly owned by the Government of Dubai and has 20,273 employees.
Destinations
Emirates flies to 94 destinations in 60 countries on six continents from its primary hub in Dubai.[6] 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 and also flies the Kangaroo Route.
While the airline does not maintain sizable hubs elsewhere, it has taken advantage of liberal bilateral aviation agreements between Dubai and Australia, and with Singapore, to offer more onward connections from Sydney and Dubai. The airline's strengths have also invited protectionist measures to keep it out of key foreign markets. In particular, it has been unsuccessful in gaining access on the transatlantic routes between London Heathrow and the United States, and on the transpacific routes from Australia to the United States.
According to a report in The Seattle Times, Emirates is planing to expand nonstop
service globally from its hub in Dubai to Los Angeles International
Airport, San Francisco International Airport,
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport,
In September 2007, president, Tim Clark said that Emirates is planning on buying 10 more Boeing 747-8s to serve San Francisco, Los Angeles, and South American cities. He also said that Emirates is working on getting new flyover rights over Russia to minimise the length of the flights to North America's West Coast.[8]
| Destination | Flights per week | Equipment | Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad, India[9] | 6 | Airbus A330-200, Boeing 777-200 | 29th October, 2007 |
| Toronto, Canada[10] | 3 | Boeing 777-300ER | 29th October, 2007 |
| Houston, United States of America[11] | 3 | Boeing 777-200LR | 3rd December, 2007 |
Statistics
International Air Transport Association (IATA) statistics indicate that in 2006 Emirates ranked among the top-ten airlines in the world in terms of passengers (17.54 million) carried and kilometres (71.3 million) flown in 2006/2007. The airline carried 14.5 million passengers in 2005/06, 2 million more than the previous year’s 12.5 million.
The passenger seat factor increased to 75.9 per cent, up 1.3 percentage points from the previous year, led by an increase in traffic by 20.2 per cent. In the financial year 2005/2006, Emirates carried 14.5 million passengers and one million tonnes of cargo.[2]
| Year | Total Revenue (AED’000) | Total Expenditure (AED’000) | Operating Profit (AED’000) | Net Profit (AED’000) | Yield (Fils per RTKM) | Unit cost (Fils per ATKM) | Breakeven load factor (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-2003 | 9,709,749 | 8,749,606 | 1,000,511 | 906,747 | 169 | 111 | 65.4 |
| 2003-2004 | 13,286,331 | 11,602,094 | 2,618,789 | 1,573,511 | 181 | 107 | 59.0 |
| 2004-2005 | 18,130,998 | 15,628,282 | 2,652,291 | 2,407,385 | 192 | 111 | 58.0 |
| 2005-2006 | 23,050,927 | 20,489,601 | 2,652,291 | 2,474,999 | 203 | 122 | 60.2 |
| 2006-2007 | 29,839,618 | 26,675,891 | 3,338,873 | 3,096,416 | 216 | 129 | 59.9 |
| Year | Traffic | Passenger seat kilometres | Fleet | Average age of fleet (months) | Aircraft departures from Dubai International Airport | Destinations | Number of employees | Aircraft Departures | Passenger seat factor (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-2003 | 8,502,894 | 31,660,547 | 46 | 36 | 45,452 | 64 | 10,507 | 45,452 | 76.6% |
| 2003-2004 | 10,441,345 | 40,110,375 | 61 | 46 | 58,763 | 73 | 12,804 | 58,763 | 73.4% |
| 2004-2005 | 12,528,761 | 51,398,393 | 69 | 55 | 72,057 | 76 | 15,858 | 72,057 | 74.6% |
| 2005-2006 | 14,497,536 | 62,260,070 | 85 | 61 | 79,937 | 83 | 17,296 | 79,937 | 75.9% |
| 2006-2007 | 17,544,140 | 77,946,590 | 104 | 63 | 92,158 | 89 | 20,273 | 92,158 | 76.2% |
Fleet
Passenger
The Emirates fleet consists of the following aircraft as of October 2007[1] :
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers (First*/Business/Economy) |
Routes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A330-200 | 29 | 237(12/42/183) 278(27/251) |
Short-medium haul Africa, Asia, and Europe |
Exit from service: 2013
Old cabin layout |
| Airbus A340-300 | 8 | 267 (12/42/213) | Long haul Former Singapore Airlines Aircraft |
Exit from service: 2013
Old Cabin layout |
| Airbus A340-500 | 10 | 258 (12/42/204) | Ultra long haul Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and North America |
Extended range (ER) aircraft with derated engines
New cabin layout Fully Flat bed Suites in First Class ICE system included |
| Boeing 777-200 | 3 | 290 (12/42/236) 346 (42/304) |
Medium-long haul | Old Cabin Layout
Exit from service: 2011 |
| Boeing 777-200ER | 6 | 283 (12/35/236) | Medium-long haul | |
| Boeing 777-200LR | 3 |
266 (8/42/216) | Ultra long haul | Extended range (ER) aircraft with derated engines
New cabin layout ICE system included Fully Flat bed Suites in First Class |
| Boeing 777-300 | 12 | 380 (18/42/320) 434 (49/385) |
Medium-long haul | Exit from service: 2014
Some have New cabin layout |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 31 |
358 (12/42/304) 427 (42/385) |
Medium-long haul Europe, North America, Australia, South East Asia |
Extended range (ER) aircraft with derated engines
New cabin layout Fully Flat bed Suites in First Class ICE system included Entry into service: March 2005 |
*First Class is only offered on select routes.
The average age of the Emirates fleet is 5.4 years as of August 2007.[12]
Cargo
The Emirates cargo fleet consists of the following aircraft as of March 2007:
| Aircraft | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A310-300F | 3 | |
| Boeing 747-400ERF | 1 |
Entry into service: July 2007 Deliveries: 2007-2008 Operated for Emirates SkyCargo by TNT[13] |
| Boeing 747-400F | 4 | Operated for Emirates SkyCargo by Atlas Air To be phased out Replacement aircraft: Boeing 777F |
Fleet expansion
The airline is in the midst of its fleet renewal programme, with plans to retire all 50 aircraft by 2015. Their capacity are planned to be taken up by a mix of Airbus A380-841s (55 on order) and Boeing 777-300ERs (31 delivered, 23 on order). Delays in the delivery schedule of the Airbus A380 forced the airline to lease 5 Boeing 777's delivered in 2007 as an interim measure to tide over its capacity shortage as part of its Airbus A330 fleet continues to retire from service. The airline also took the unprecedented step of leasing a 5 Boeing 777's from ILFC since 21 June 2007 on a short-term basis.
The Emirates fleet order book consists of the following aircraft[14]:
| Aircraft | Orders | Options | Routes | Announcement | First Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A380-800 | (55 orders) | (0 Options) | Long haul | 30 April 2000 |
|
| Boeing 777-200LR | (7 Orders) | (0 options) | Ultra long haul | November 20, 2005 |
|
| Boeing 777-300ER | (23 Orders) | (20 rights) | Medium-long haul Europe, North America, Australia, South East Asia |
Nov. 20, 2005 |
|
Cargo Fleet Expansion
| Aircraft | Orders | Options | Announcement | First Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-400ERF | (2 orders) | (0 options) | July 18th 2006 |
|
| Boeing 747-8F | (10 orders) | (10 rights) | October 9, 2006 |
|
| Boeing 777F | (8 orders) | (0 Options) | Nov. 20, 2005 |
|
Emirates Boeing customer code is 1H. The code appears in aircraft models in this sequence, Boeing 777-31HER.
The airline has ordered 55 Airbus A380 aircraft and it will be the third airline to receive the aircraft, after launch airline Singapore Airlines and Qantas. Forty-one passenger A380-800s are to be purchased and two are to be leased from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). Two freighter A380-800Fs were ordered for Emirates SkyCargo. However, this was changed to the passenger model in May 2006. Their first A380 was to enter service in October 2006[15] but will now not be delivered until early 2008. After delivery, the airline will be the largest operator of the type.[16]
As of November 20, 2005, Emirates had an order book of $117 billion, comprising 105 firm orders, including 55 Airbus A380s (by far the largest of any carrier),[17] and 51 Boeing 777, to become the largest carrier.
Emirates is still evaluating both Boeing's 787 and Airbus's A350. Boeing is now planning to create a larger 787 called the 787-10 in response to Emirates' and other airlines requirement for a larger aircraft than the already launched Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 787-9. Airbus has also planned a larger A350, known as the A350 XWB.[18] although it's believed as of the 18 June 2007 Emirates has chosen the A350 XWB.[19]
On October 27, 2006, Emirates announced that it cancelled its order for 20 Airbus A340-600 aircraft, citing that they believed the A340 lacked the technology offered by more up-to-date planes. They also cancelled the Airbus A380-F which were due for delivery in 2009. Instead the airline has opted to order ten of the recently launched Boeing 747-8 freighters for its SkyCargo subsidiary at the 2006 Farnborough Air Show. The reason Emirates has chosen the Boeing 747-8 "derivative" freighter over the all-new Airbus A380-F is the Boeing aircraft's nose-loading capability, something the rival Airbus freighter is lacking.[20][21] In addition, Emirates also said that it was evaluating the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, the yet to be launched passenger version of the Boeing 747-8, especially the "stretched" version now studied by Boeing which would incorporate the same 5.6 m stretch as the freight variant instead of the mere 3.6m stretch envisaged for the passenger model. This would bring the 747-8I's capacity 20% closer to the Airbus A380-800's typical three-class 555-seat capacity (470 seats in a three-class-configuration instead of 450).
On 7 May, 2007 Emirates reaffirmed its order for 43 A380s and has committed to another 4 as well which brought its total order to 47.
On 18 June, 2007, during the Paris Air Show, Emirates ordered 8 additional A380s, bringing its total ordered to 55.[22] Emirates, which was deciding between the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, also said it would decide on an order worth as much as $20 billion for mid-sized planes by October, and that the design of the Airbus A350 XWB was closing in on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Emirates president Tim Clark said he was ruling out splitting the order for as many as 100 planes between the two manufacturers. Clark said he believed Boeing's barrel idea was the plane of the future but would not be a deal-breaker for the next order but said that it would order the aircraft in the future.[19] Emirates will decide on a mid-size aircraft order worth up to $20 bn by October 2007, Reuters reported.
Emirates airline is negotiating for up to 20 Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental aircraft, according to Flight International magazine. Emirates already has an order for 10 747-8 freighter aircraft and an option for 10 more in a $5.6 billion deal inked last September. Emirates is in talks for the 747-8I passenger version and a deal could be announced during the Dubai Air Show in November. The 747-8I is priced between $285 million and $300 million per aircraft.
Clark told local and international media, during a demo flight of its new Boeing 777-300 ER Ultra Long Range above Dubai on 7 September, 2007, that Emirates is spending $10 to $14 million retrofitting each 777 aircraft.
Clark said he would gladly double Emirates A380 order if he were not constrained by the number of contact gates at Dubai International. It was infrastructure, rather than financing, that has kept Emirates' A380 at 55, he said. The airline's cash flow has steadily improved, he said, and negated any immediate need for debt financing. Emirates' 55 A380s is the maximum number that can be accommodated with the 27 contact gates the airport is building for the double decker superjumbo. "We'd take 100 if the airport could handle it," he said. He added that the airplane's capabilities are "morphing," as the test flights by Airbus have revealed greater range and payloads.
Boeing 777
Emirates is the world's third largest operator of the Boeing 777, with 54 in its fleet as of 15 October 2007. The first 777s were ordered as a replacement for Emirates ageing Airbus fleet. Subsequently, Emirates has taken delivery of the Airbus A340-500, a long range version of the A340, bringing Airbus aircraft back into their long haul fleet.
The airline's new Boeing 777-300ERs entered commercial service in 2005, on the Dubai-Paris route, the Dubai-London route, and rhe Dubai-Singapore route. This aircraft, of which Emirates ordered 54, in total, in which 31 have been delivered and 23 are in the process of being delivered .The new boeing 777 uses Emirates new First Class, Business Class, and Economy Class products. Similar cabins will be used through out Emirates future aircraft, including the Airbus 380, Boeing 777-200LR, and possibly the Airbus A350 once the order is signed.
Airbus A380
Emirates airline is the largest customer for the Airbus A380-800. As a third launch customer of the Airbus A380-800, it will be the second airline to operate the aircraft.[23][24] It has 55 A380s on order and has plans to introduce the aircraft on its Kangaroo Route from Sydney and later Melbourne to London, via Dubai.[25]
Pilots asked for a pay increase for flying the A380 in view of their responsibility for extra passengers. Emirates previoulsly disagreed with the pilots, but as of September 2007, they have increased the salary of the pilots training to fly the A380.
Awards and accolades
Emirates was named the ninth best Airline of the Year in 2007 by Skytrax. Skytrax also named Emirates the Airline of the Year in both 2001 and in 2002.
Incidents and accidents
An Airbus A340-313X of Emirates ran off the runway when taking off from OR Tambo International Airport on April 9 2004. At the call to rotate, the pilot flying pulled back on the stick. However the nose was then de-rotated and the aircraft did not become airborne. The crew felt a rumbling, selected full power, and about two seconds later the aircraft lifted off the ground. The airport says that threshold of runway 25, approach lights and part of the runway surface were damaged as the aircraft went over the end of 21R. The pilot had received ambiguous instructions regarding rotation technique during his transition training. Emirates Training establishment was censured by Airbus after an investigation.[26]
Services
Service innovation
Emirates in-flight entertainment system, ICE, was introduced in 2002 and is now offered to passengers in all classes with over 1,200 entertainment options.
In 2005, Emirates was one of the earliest to introduce high-speed, in-flight
In November 2006 the airline signed a deal with mobile communications firm AeroMobile. This will allow passengers on board Emirates flights to use their mobile phones to call or text people on the ground. This is the first airline to confirm such a deal and will allow passengers to use their personal mobile phone in early January 2007 on selected Boeing 777s. Emirates won the award for best in-flight entertainment in 2006 from Skytrax, because of their ICE (information communication entertainment) system, with the biggest selling point being over 500 channels of movies, television and music.
Emirates has begun construction on its own luxury five star hotel and towers. It is located next to Dnata headquarters on the Sheikh Zayed Road.
In mid-2007, Emirates will feature docking capability for Apple Inc.'s iPod portable music and video player. This will allow the device's battery to be charged, but will also allow integration with Emirates' in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. This will also enable the IFE system to play music, television shows, or movies stored on the iPod, as well as function as a control system.[28]
Emirates Flight Catering
Emirates Flight Catering Co. has over 4,800 employees and provides in-flight catering and support services for airlines at Dubai International Airport.
A catering facility dedicated to the production of airline meals for Emirates Airlines opened in March 2007. The facility has a capacity of 115,000 meal tray set-ups per day, and will feature automation including an electric monorail system for metal carts, a bin conveyor system for equipment, and a vacuum waste disposal system.
The company provided 22.3 million airline meals in 2006, and is on course to produce over 24 million meals in 2007. The daily average meal uplift is 115,000.
Cabin
Emirates announced a major upgrade to its cabin and in-flight service on 15 October, 2003. Initially planned for its Airbus A380-800's introduction into service in 2006, and subsequently on the Boeing 777-300ER, the postponement of the first A380-800 delivery meant it had to be introduced with the launch of the first Boeing 777-300ER with the airline on 9 December, 2004 between Dubai and Paris. There are currently no plans to introduce the service to the remaining Emirates fleet.
Thirty-one Boeing 777-300ERs being operated by the airline now offer upgraded cabin services to New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, and London.
Frequent flyer programme
Skywards is the frequent flyer program of Emirates, SriLankan Airlines and other Emirates travel partners. Miles are earned through flights with Emirates and SriLankan, or with cooperating airlines such as Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, South African Airways, Virgin Blue and United Airlines. Skywards offers status tiers Silver and Gold, which give additional benefits based upon miles flown in a year.
Onboard
First Class
On Airbus A340-500 flights, first class passengers have full suites, complete with closing doors to ensure privacy, mini-bar, coat rack and ample storage. The seat converts into a 2 metre (6 foot 7 inch) fully-flat bed.
On board the new generation of Emirates Boeing 777-200 and 777-300 aircraft, passengers have fully-flat beds, mini-bars and gourmet meals (including caviar and champagnes such as Dom Perignon) are available on demand, as well as over 600 channels of entertainment.
Business Class
On business class, the following features are included on some routes:
- Airline seats with a 60" pitch that recline to angled lie-flat beds with ample room for taller passengers on the newer planes
- Electrically operated massage, privacy partition, backrest recline, seat pan extension, footrest extension, leg rest extension and lumbar support on the newer planes.
- Adjustable winged headrest with six-way movement.
- Two individual reading lights and one overhead light in each seat.
- Large personal table along with a smaller cocktail table.
- 19 in (48 cm digital display screen except front rows which have 15.4 in (39 cm) screens.
- Touchscreen as well as handset controls for in-flight entertainment features.
- Touchscreen as well as discrete button controls for seat and privacy divider.
- Chefs have created a choice of meals all served on fine bone china with linen napkins. Each meal is accompanied by a range of wines.
- Complimentary drinks and canapés prior to the meal.
- Business Class passengers receive complimentary chauffeur driven service to and from selected airports. At the airport passengers experience exclusive Business Class check-in desks, baggage is labelled with priority handling tags, and passengers are offered the choice to relax in the Business Class lounge facilities at most airports. Emirates is also upgrading business class seats beginning summer 2007.
Economy Class
The seat has a seat pitch of 34 in (86 cm) (Boeing 777) or 32 in (81 cm) (other aircraft) and a width of 17 in (43 cm) (Boeing 777) or 18 in (46 cm) (other aircraft) as well as a 150° seat recline. Like standard economy class seats, adjustable headrests and footrests are available on every seat. There is a 9 in (23 cm) screen for in-flight entertainment and in-seat power supply at selected seats. A minibar is located at the back of the aircraft where light snacks and drinks are offered during the flight.
Each seat is equipped with a 9 in (23 cm) flat screen giving access to over 600 channels of entertainment. The Emirates ICE (information, communication and entertainment) system gives over 130 on-demand movies, 60 TV channels or listen to any of 350 audio channels.
Every seat is equipped with a telephone handset and games controller for the 40 games on board, SMS and email.
Emirates offers a 10-abreast (3-4-3) seating in economy class cabins on the Boeing 777 aircraft in comparison to the 9-abreast (2-5-2 or 3-3-3) seating used by other operators. Most passengers find the 10-abreast seating slightly cramped.
In-flight entertainment
Emirates offers in-flight entertainment on its entire fleet.
Panasonic Avionics Corporation has been selected to create the new IFE system which will be installed on all of Emirates Fleet, using the new ex2 system. 15 video channels, containing 164 new movies, 3 classic films, World Movies and a variety of specially selected TV programs, can all be found on Emirates in-flight entertainment. 26 audio channels offer the latest hits, classic albums, music from around the world and classical music as well as interviews.
- Large widescreen Liquid crystal display television with 1280 X 768 resolution
- A range of movies, TV, music, games, and interactive programs
- Built-in office software, based on Sun Microsystems StarOffice Productivity Suite for use with USB Port
- In-seat AC power port
ICE
Information
Operated by Emirates Airline, ICE is an in-flight entertainment system. ICE (Information Communication Entertainment) is found in all of Emirates Airline's Airbus A340-500, and all of Emirates Airline's Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777-200 fleet. The system is based on the 3000i system from Panasonic Avionics Corporation. ICE provides passengers with a direct data link to BBC News. ICE is the first IFE system to be connected directly to automatic news updates. This is complemented by ICE's Airshow moving-map software from Rockwell Collins. Along with this software comes ICE's unique system of exterior cameras located on the aircraft. These cameras can be viewed by any passenger through the IFE system during takeoff and landing.
Communication
ICE also contains a link to an in-flight email server which allows passengers to access, send or receive emails for US $1 per message. ICE also contains a seat-to-seat chat server[29].
Entertainment
ICE allows passengers to choose from a library of movies, audio CDs, and video games. ICE offers over 130 on-demand movie titles and 15 video-on-demand channels, 60 prerecorded television channels, 350 audio channels, and around 50 video-game titles. ICE can also be accessed in 10 different languages are English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, and Japanese.[30] Since 2003, all entertainment options are available on demand to all classes with options to pause, forward, and rewind them.
ICE uses the Wisemen 3000 hardware and Dolby digital personal cinema headphones for economy class, and active noise cancelling headphones for business and first class.
Newspapers and Magazines
Newspapers and magazines are available to all first & business class passengers on Emirates flights. Complimentary newspapers are also provided to all economy class passengers. The Emirates in-flight magazine, Openskies, is provided to all passengers on all flights.
Emirates Lounges
First and business class passengers, as well as Skywards Gold and Silver members, have access to Emirates Lounges, located at several airports throughout the airline's network. In addition to the Emirates Lounge, Emirates passengers are able to use the Department of Civil Aviation's (DCA) First Class lounge in Dubai. The airline has 33 lounges in 16 cities, with plans for 13 more. It also has affiliation with 53 other lounges.
First Class lounge only
First Class and Business Class lounge
It is important to note that some of the below are combined First and Business Class lounges.
Financial performance
The airline has recorded a profit every year since its inception, except the second and growth has never fallen below 20% a year. In its first 11 years, it doubled in size every 3.5 years, and has every four years since. The Emirates Group announced a net profits of Dhs 2.8 billion (US$ 762 million) for the financial year ended 31 March 2006.[citation needed] while the total revenues of Emirates in the previous fiscal year (2004-2005) where $4.9 billion.[31]
For 2004–05, Emirates paid an increased dividend of Dh368 million to the Government of Dubai, compared to Dh329 million the year before. In total, the ownership received Dh1.1 billion from Emirates since dividends started being paid in 1999. Having provided an initial start-up capital of US$10m plus and an additional investment of circa US$80m at the time of the airline's inception,[32] 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.[31]
Business model
Emirates business model has led to their commercial success in the aviation industry.[31] The airline has a lean workforce which can be compared to low-cost carriers rather than traditional flag carriers. It has a simple organisational structure, that allows the airline to maintain low overhead costs and it must pay no income taxes on wages. Due to the low operating costs at its Dubai base, some industry analysts believe the airline is second only to Ryanair on a cash cost per seat basis.[33] Therefore, the airline is able to serve secondary destinations as well as connecting to places via their hub in Dubai.[34]
The airline has not joined any major global airline alliances. The airline operates
only wide-body aircraft which results in lower unit costs compared to other major
airlines operating a mixture of narrow and wide-body aircraft. It allows Emirates to use the aircraft's cargo capacity to
increase its revenues and total profits. Since Dubai International Airport does not have any
flying restrictions at night, the airline is able to highly utilise their aircraft. The airline virtually does not have any
legacy costs compared to other airlines. It also helps that all forms of
Employment
Emirates, which hopes to take delivery of Airbus A380 has invested Dh73 million ($20 million) to expand its crew training facility at the Emirates Training Centre. In order to serve its expanding operations the airline has been hiring new cabin crew at a rate of 60 per week, due to rise to 100 per week as larger aircraft, especially the A380s, join the fleet. By 2011, Emirates expects to have more than 14,000 cabin crew on its payroll.[citation needed]
Controversy
The established network carriers in Europe and Australia, i.e. Air France-KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Qantas, perceive Emirates' strategic decision to reposition itself as a global carrier as a major threat because it increasingly enables an ever-growing number of air travellers to by-pass traditional airline hubs such as London Heathrow Airport, Charles de Gaulle International Airport, and Frankfurt Airport on their way between Europe/North America and Asia/Australia by changing flights in Dubai instead. These carriers also find it difficult to deal with the growing competitive threat Emirates poses to their business because of their much higher cost base.
Some of these carriers—notably Air France and Qantas—are so concerned about the detrimental effects of Emirates' growth on their future ability to compete with it on a level playing field that they have resorted to openly accusing their Dubai-based rival of receiving hidden state subsidies and of maintaining too cosy a relationship with Dubai's airport authority as well as its aviation authority, both of which are also wholly state-owned entities that share the same government owner with the airline. In addition, they have also accused Emirates of taking unfair advantage of its government shareholder's sovereign borrower status. They claim that this masks its true financial performance and reduces its borrowing costs below market rates.[35][31][36]
Partnerships and Alliances
Emirates has codeshare agreements[37] with SriLankan Airlines, in which it owns a 43% stake, Continental Airlines and Lufthansa, where it codeshares on selected regional routes, and with Skywards member airlines, which it became a member of in April 2000[38].
On 20 March, 2004, Emirates signed a deal with Raffles International (Swissôtel), InterContinental, Radisson Hotels (Rezidor Hotel Group), Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, and Marriott Vacation Club International. On 4 April, 2005, Emirates signed a deal with Dubai Autodrome and later bought a majority stake in the company for an undisclosed amount. On 3 September, 2006, selected Korean Air as a code share partner to fly to Seoul through its hub in Dubai.
Codeshare agreements
Emirates has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[39]
Marketing
Emirates is a sponsor of sports clubs and events, both at its home base and in its overseas markets. It also sponsors the annual "Dubai Shopping Festival" and the "Dubai Summer Surprises". As the airline lacks a "ready-made" clientèle in its almost non-existent home market, this type of corporate sponsorship is an effective marketing tool. For Emirates marketing expenses account for a far greater share of its total costs than for most of its competitors.[33] In the English-speaking world the sponsorship always carries the words "Fly Emirates". At present the company provides the following sponsorships:
- Main sponsor of Arsenal F.C. of the English Premier League, and has its name on Arsenal's new stadium, Emirates Stadium, until June 2020, and is the shirt sponsor until 2014.
- Sponsor of both the Australian national cricket team (defending champions) and the West Indies cricket team, hosts for the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
- Sponsors the 2007 Rugby World Cup. This is the second rugby related sponsorship after the Dubai Sevens.
- Title sponsor of the Dubai World Cup thoroughbred horse race.
- Title and main sponsor of the Melbourne Cup (Australia's richest horse race).
- Major sponsor of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.
- Official Airline of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
- Main sponsor behind the America's Cup challenge team Emirates Team New Zealand, made from the remnants of Team New Zealand who won the cup in 1995, and defended in 2000 before losing it in 2003.
- Sponsor of Collingwood Football Club
- Major sponsor of new Super 14's the Emirates Western Force
- Involved in the IRB Sevens World Series
- Was the sponsor of Chelsea F.C.
- Sponsor of the football club Hamburger SV in the Fußball-Bundesliga
- Emirates announced before the start of the 2006 Formula 1 Championship that they had signed a sponsorship deal with Team McLaren Mercedes.
- Sponsor for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf division and Distaff division.
- Sponsors the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament.
- Sponsor of Paris Saint-Germain FC
- Sponsors A.C. Milan in the Italian Serie A championship.
- First company to sponsor two teams in one UEFA Champions League match in 2006, with Hamburger SV facing Arsenal F.C. Under UEFA regulations, one sponsor cannot appear on both teams' shirts, so for both games, the away side had "Dubai" on their shirts, with the home team wearing Emirates shirts.
- Sponsors the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament.
- Sponsors the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2007 AFC Asian Cup
- Holds the sponsorship rights for cricket umpires and association football referees.
Gallery
 Boeing 777-300ER |
 Singapore Changi |
 Manchester Ringway |
 Boeing 777 |
References
- The Economist, 2005/6. The Economist Newspaper Ltd. (The Economist online)
- Financial Times, 29 October 2005. UK Edition. (Financial Times online)
- Financial Times, 19 July 2006. UK Edition. (Financial Times online)
- The Sunday Times, 23 July 2006. Times Newspapers Ltd. (The Sunday Times online)
- Flight International, 25-31 July 2006. Reed Business Information Ltd.. (Flight International online)
External links
- Official site.
- Emirates Airline - Company Profile
- Fleet
- Emirates Chairman Interview
- The Emirates Group
- Emirates Skycargo
- Emirates Booking Engine Case Study
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