AS EMIRATES TURNS 30 IS NO END IN SIGHT FOR CONTINUED GROWTH
(Posted 25th October 2015)
Today, thirty years ago, did a fledgling young airline take to the skies when flight EK 600 took off from Dubai to Karachi. An initial fleet of wet-leased aircraft was made up of a Boeing B737-300 and an Airbus A300b4-200, both provided by Pakistan International Airlines. A further two Boeing B727-200’s were then added, sourced from the Dubai Air Wing and the airline, initially capitalized with a ten million US Dollar injection from the Royal Family was in business. Long haul flights where launched in 1987, using two new Airbus A310’s with the first destination being London.
Since then has Emirates become the largest international airline and the growth rate of fleet and destinations went into overdrive in the year 2002, when the airline operated just 43 aircraft made up of Boeing and Airbus equipment. In 2003 were major new orders announced and 12 more aircraft added. That number grew progressively and last year did the airline add a record 26 new aircraft, all wide bodies of course, more than many other airlines operate in their entire fleet.
With some 268 additional aircraft on order, plus options for a further 20, has Emirates charted a course for the next decade and beyond to remain the world’s largest international airline and when from 2025 onwards the move to the new mega airport Dubai World Central begins will the largest airline rehome to the world’s largest airport.
This includes the largest ever order for Boeing’s B777X when Emirates at the Dubai Airshow 2013 ordered 150 of these yet to be fully developed birds, many of which when delivered will replace older aircraft, not that the average age of the fleet of 6.3 years is anything but exemplary for an airline of this size. At the same air show did Emirates also add to their Airbus A380 order with a further 50, making it the airline with the most wide body aircraft on order and being the best spender for both Boeing and Airbus. More orders for the A380, Emirates is the largest operator of this aircraft type in the world, may depend on the manufacturer upgrading the aircraft to an A380Neo version, as it has done with other Airbus planes like the A320 family and the A330.
Now flying from Dubai to some 164 destinations in 78 countries around the world and will from February next year, when it adds Panama City to the network, operate the longest nonstop flight in the history of commercial aviation.
In East Africa does Emirates presently serve Nairobi twice a day with Boeing B777 aircraft, the same as Dar es Salaam which is also served double daily. Entebbe presently receives a daily B777 flight while Emirates does not at present fly to any other country in the East African Community.
Notably though does the airline operate a twice a day service with B777 aircraft to the Seychelles while Mauritius, to where Emirates operates under a code share with national airline Air Mauritius, flies the giant Airbus A380 twice a day and only recently had a request turned down by the Mauritius Civil Aviation for a third daily flight.
Elsewhere in Africa does Emirates cover destinations from Cairo to Cape Town to Lagos, connecting 21 countries via Dubai with the rest of the world.
Parent company, the Emirates Group, a vertically integrated operation, includes such other subsidiaries as DNATA, a major global aviation ground handling company, Emirates Sky Cargo, Emirates Holidays, Emirates Engineering and Emirates Flight Catering among others and has persistently turned profits contrary to constant allegations made by US and European legacy carriers about the government of Dubai subsidizing the operations.
Happy Birthday to Emirates on this auspicious day and Happy Landings always to passengers, crews and aircraft!
