Emirates posts Dh9.9bn half-year profit as travel demand stays strong - Alhamdulillah
Assalamu alaikum - Emirates Airline reported a 13% rise in half-year profit after tax to Dh9.9 billion ($2.7bn), driven by continued travel demand that held up despite geopolitical tensions. Revenue reached Dh65.6 billion, up 6% year‑on‑year, with particularly strong interest in premium cabins.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and CEO, said the airline remained the world’s most profitable for the period thanks to customers preferring its premium offerings. He noted demand stayed “unflagging” and expects travel appetite to continue into the second half of the fiscal year - good news, insha’Allah, for the sector.
Emirates plans to grow capacity as new Airbus A350s join the fleet and dnata opens new facilities. The wider Emirates Group, which includes dnata, posted Dh10.6bn in half‑year profit after tax, also up 13%, marking the fourth consecutive record half‑year profit for the group.
Group revenue was Dh75.4bn, a 4% increase, helped by more passengers passing through Dubai. The group completed payment of Dh2bn of the Dh6bn dividends declared for 2024–25 to its government shareholder. Workforce numbers rose 3% to 124,927 employees during April–September, and recruitment is continuing to meet future needs.
The airline carried 27.8 million passengers in six months, up 4% year‑on‑year. Available seat kilometres (ASK) grew 5% as Emirates took delivery of five A350s and rolled out refreshed interiors on 23 Boeing 777s and A380s from its $5bn retrofit programme. Load factor dipped slightly to 79.5% from 80% the previous year.
Operating costs, including fuel, rose 4% in line with higher operations; fuel made up about 30% of costs. Despite regional tensions and global economic uncertainty, passenger flows through Dubai remained strong.
Dubai welcomed 13.95 million overnight visitors in the first nine months, up 5% from the same period in 2024, and aims to surpass last year’s 18.7 million visitors. Dubai International handled 22.5 million passengers in Q2 2025, a 3.1% rise.
To prepare for future growth, Dubai is building a $35bn terminal at Al Maktoum International, which is planned to become Emirates’ main base by 2032. Emirates SkyCargo moved 1.25 million tonnes in the six months, up 4%, though cargo yields fell 6% amid softer demand in some segments. SkyCargo added capacity with three new Boeing 777 freighters.
By the end of September, Emirates served 153 airports in 81 countries and territories. The International Air Transport Association noted 2025 is shaping up well for the industry despite political and economic uncertainty - passenger demand up about 4.8% and cargo up 3.2% in the first nine months.
Dnata posted record half‑year revenue of Dh11.7bn, up 13%, and profit after tax rose 22% to Dh697m as it expanded cargo, ground handling, catering, retail, and travel services.
Overall, encouraging results for the group and the aviation sector - praise be to Allah for this resilience and growth, and may He grant continued safety for travellers and workers alike.
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