Emirates is now officially the world’s most profitable airline.
On Thursday, the Dubai-based carrier announced its annual financial results for the fiscal year ending in March 2025, and it reported record annual profits of AED 21.2 billion (US$ 5.8 billion), a 20% jump from last year.
The airline’s parent company Emirates Group reported profits that surpassed the previous year’s by 18%.
The record-breaking earnings comes at a time when other airlines are struggling amid economic headwinds and softer consumer spending.
Despite these tensions, Emirates had a busy year full of expansion, with new routes from its base in Dubai to Bogotá and Madagascar, and resuming flights to Phnom Penh, Lagos, Adelaide, and Edinburgh. The carrier said it increased flight frequencies 21 other destinations “to meet rising demand.”
It also received its first four Airbus A350 planes to its fleet, outfitted with its premium economy cabin and a refreshed business class product. The airline says it still has 314 aircraft pending delivery: 61 A350s, 205 Boeing 777x, 35 787s, and 13 777Fs.
The airline increased its seat capacity by 4% and carried a total of 53.7 million passengers in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, a 3% jump from the previous year.
Emirates also added another 99 aircraft to its retrofit program, which will now see a total of 219 aircraft undergo complete cabin refreshes for a total investment of $5 billion USD.
“We’ve kept a laser focus on providing great products and services, and we continually invest in technology and talent to increase our competitive edge,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline and Group. “We enter the year ahead with excitement and optimism. While some markets are jittery about trade and travel restrictions, volatility is not new in our industry. We simply adapt and navigate around these challenges.”
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