Emirates Breaks Records: Summer Brings Two Million Passengers to Dubai

This summer, Emirates has achieved impressive results, setting new records. Over the course of June through August, the airline operated nearly 50,000 flights, serving 140 cities across six continents, and successfully transporting more than 14 million with load factors reaching over 80%, indicating high demand for their services.

Many passengers connected through Emirates’ Dubai hub, but two million made it their final destination, drawn by attractions including the Burj Khalifa skyscraper and the luxurious Dubai Mall. Top inbound markets over the summer included the United Kingdom, India, Germany, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, and Kuwait.

Photo: Dubai, UAE. Courtesy of Wael Hneini / Unsplash

The airline reports that more than a third (35 percent) of visitors who arrived in Dubai on Emirates planes were families. They spent an average of over two weeks in the city, enjoying all-ages attractions like the Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park, the world’s largest water park, and the Lost Chambers Aquarium.

Emirates also added a new destination to its hub and spoke network this summer: Montréal, Canada (YUL), now served with daily flights from Dubai.

The carrier also responded to strong demand by increasing the frequency of flights to 12 destinations: Amsterdam (AMS), Athens (ATH), Bangkok (BKK), Bologna (BLQ), Brisbane (BNE), Budapest (BUD), Entebbe (EBB), Jeddah (JED), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Medina (MED), Shanghai (PVG), and Venice (VCE).

The UAE’s flag carrier also resumed its daily Airbus A380 services to Birmingham (BHX), Nice (NCE), Taipei (TPE), and Shanghai (PVG) for the first time since the pandemic. It’s also brought the world’s largest passenger jet to Indonesia for the first time, with daily flights to Bali (DPS).

Photo: Courtesy of Simon Infanger / Unsplash

Emirates also announced new codesharing and interline agreements with Kenya Airways, Air Canada, and Philippine Airlines, giving it a total of 157 airline and train partners.

Thriving Dubai

The airline has attributed this year’s success to Dubai’s attractions, healthy global demand for international travel, its extensive route network, the luxurious service in its premium cabins, and its quick resumption of service following the pandemic shutdown.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Travel demand across our network has been strong and resilient despite rising cost-of-living pressures in many markets. It shows the value that people place on travel – whether for work, play, study, or visiting loved ones; and how essential international air connectivity is to communities.”

Photo: The newly refurbished Economy Class onboard the Airbus A380. Courtesy of Emirates.

“As an early mover in restoring our flying schedules, Emirates worked closely with our industry partners to ensure our readiness to serve customer demand as well as attract visitors through building on the appeal of our home and hub, Dubai,” he added.

“We’re happy to see strong customer preference for our product in all cabin classes, especially in our premium cabins.”

Up next, the airline anticipates another spike in travel to Dubai over the winter as the city puts on major sporting events and conferences.