Emirates Airlines
Emirates Airline or Emirates is the largest airline in the Middle East when it comes to revenue, passengers carried and fleet. It is among the top ten in the world in terms of international passengers carried, scheduled freight tonne-kilometres flown, scheduled international passenger-flown and revenue.
It is the subsidiary of The Emirates Group and is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its hub is at Dubai International Airport. In October of 2008, Emirates transferred to Terminal 3, the single largest terminal building in the world.
Emirates Airline was set-up in 1985 by the Dubai government. Initial flights include destinations such as Karachi, Mumbai and Delhi. Its first European flight was for London Gatwick in 1987 while in the Far East, first destination was Singapore in 1990.
It currently operates an all-wide body aircraft fleet and based on current orders, Emirates will have 500 aircraft by 2021. Its subsidiaries are Marhaba Airport Services, Emirates Aviation College, Emirates College of Hospitality and Services and Emirates Engineering.
International Destinations
Emirates Airline doesn’t have domestic flights in UAE but operates flights to 91 international destinations and 55 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. Its weekly passenger flights total 3,710. It has a fleet size of 124.
Its international destinations include Addis Ababa in Ethiopia; Nairobi in Kenya; Port Louis in Mauritius; Mahe in Seychelles; Dar es Salaam in Tanzania; Entebbe in Uganda; Cairo in Egypt; Tripoli in Libya; Casablanca in Morocco; Khartoum in Sudan; Tunis in Tunisia; Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in South Africa, Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire; Accra in Ghana; Lagos in Nigeria; Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai in People’s Republic of China; Nagoya and Osaka in Japan; Seoul in South Korea; Dhaka in Bangladesh; Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram in India; Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar in Pakistan; Male in Maldives; Colombo in Sri Lanka; Jakarta in Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; Manila in the Philippines; Singapore; Bangkok in Thailand; Manama in Bahrain; Tehran in Iran; Amman in Jordan; Kuwait City in Kuwait; Beirut in Lebanon; Muscat in Oman; Doha in Qatar; Dammam/Dhahran, Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; Damascus in Syria; Dubai in United Arab Emirates; San’a’ in Yemen; Vienna in Austria; Larnaca in Cyprus; Nice and Paris in France; Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich in Germany; Athens in Greece; Milan, Rome and Venice in Italy; Valletta in Malta; Moscow in Russia; Zurich in Switzerland; Istanbul in Turkey; Birmingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester and Newcastle in United Kingdom; Toronto in Canada; Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in United States; Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney in Australia; Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand; and Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Awards and Recognition
Emirates is a multi-awarded airline. It has received around 400 awards and recognition throughout its existence. Some of the most notable ones are:
2007 and 2008
- 9th best airline in Best Airline of the Year Awards by Skytrax
2006
- Best Airline for First Class, Global Traveller
- Best First Class in the World, Business Traveller
- Best Business Airline, Guardian/Observer
2004
- Best Airline to the Middle East, Skyline Airline of the Year Awards
- Best Regional Airline for the Middle East, Business Traveller Middle East Awards
- Best Airline Based in the Middle East/Indian Sub-continent, OAG Airline of the Year Awards
- Best Airline, Marco Polo Awards Italy
Skywards
Emirates’ frequent flyer programme is Skywards which offers a three-tier membership to its loyal customers. The membership levels are Blue, Silver (requires 25,000 tier miles) and Gold (requires 50,000). Earning tier miles depends on the distance travelled and class.
The Skywards airline partners include Japan Airlines, Korean Air, South African Airways, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways and Virgin Blue.
Staying in partner hotels, renting cars and using the services or purchasing goods from Emirates’ lifestyle and leisure affiliates can also earn members Skywards Miles.
Miles may be redeemed for upgrades, reward flights with Emirates and partner airlines, free hotel stays and tours.
Gold and Silver members can access the Emirates Lounges in 16 cities worldwide as well as their affiliate lounges. First and Business Class passengers also get this special access.
Travel Classes and In-flight Services
Emirates offers three travel classes to suit their passengers’ unique preferences. First Class features a full suite fitted with closing doors, mini-bar, coat rack, storage, fully flat bed, ICE (in-flight entertainment system) and 23 inches LCD screen (features may vary in older Boeing models). Their A380 aircraft, on the other hand offer top-notch features such as private suites, shower-equipped lavatories and bar.
The Business Class offers ultra-comfortable seats and can even accommodate taller passengers, winged headrest, reading and overhead lights, ICE and 17 inches wide TV screen. Features may vary depending on the type of aircraft.
The Economy Class pampers the passengers with comfortable seats, adjustable headrest, ICE and 10.6 inches screen.
The passengers can also enjoy watching movies, listening to music and playing video games on board. If you feel like reading, you can grab the Emirates’ in-flight magazine, Openskies, which is provided on all flights.