Draw of Dubai gives Emirates ‘busiest summer’

Emirates has claimed one of its busiest summers ever by carrying more than 14 million passengers.

Average seat load factors exceeded 80% across the Gulf carrier’s global network between June and August.

Forward booking trends show “unabated demand” for international travel.

Dubai remained popular with two million passengers flying to the airline’s hub.

Top inbound markets to Dubai this summer included the UK, India, Germany, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt and Kuwait.

The airline brought back daily Airbus A380 superjumbo services to Birmingham (pictured), Nice, Taipei and Shanghai.

More than a quarter (35%) of visitors to Dubai travelling on Emirates were families, staying an average of over two weeks.

Emirates operated nearly 50,000 flights to and from 140 cities, carrying more than 14 million passengers in the quarter.

The airline anticipates another spike in demand for travel to Dubai in the winter as the city runs a packed calendar of global conferences and sporting events.

The city attracted more than 8.5 million international visitors in the first six months of 2023 – top by more than a million year-on-year.

Emirates chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim 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.”

He added:“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.

“We’re happy to see strong customer preference for our product in all cabin classes, especially in our premium cabins. Emirates will continue to ensure we are delivering the best value for money to our customers, by investing in our products, services, and in operating an efficient global network.”