Monday, Nov 07, 2011
Gulf News
Dubai There is perhaps no man who is better placed to comprehend the evolution of the UAE’s aviation sector than Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group.
One of the architects of what is today one of the world’s top ten carriers — Emirates — Shaikh Ahmad has been spearheading the airline since its inception in October 1985.
In his words: “Emirates is proud to be born from the rich fabric of the UAE. The UAE and Emirates share many traits; resilience, passion and the determination to break from the mould and push the boundaries. We congratulate the UAE on its 40th National Day.”
He added that Emirates and the UAE have always been “intrinsically linked”, working alongside one another to actively promote the city’s unique qualities.
“The UAE continues to grow and prosper, which in turn helps to fuel the growth of its carriers, including Emirates,” said Shaikh Ahmad.
The cash-rich carrier, the largest customer for the world’s biggest passenger aircraft — the Airbus A380, with a total order for 90 superjumbos — has 157 aircraft in service and orders for 195 planes (not including options) worth over $66 billion (Dh242.38 billion).
The superjumbo is at the centre of Emirates’ expansion strategy and its initial order for 22 A380s established the airline as European planemaker Airbus’ launch customer for the aircraft.
Today, Emirates is also the largest operator of US planemaker Boeing’s 777 model.
Cabin crew comprising 131 nationalities, speaking more than 80 languages, work on board its aircraft.
Unmatchable pace
It comes as no surprise that the airline, which is among the world’s most profitable, has been growing at an unmatched pace, achieving annual growth of over 20 per cent on average in its 26 years of operations.
The multicultural mix of residents in the UAE has played an important role in shaping Emirates as a company, said Shaikh Ahmad.
“Currently Emirates has over 160 nation alities working for the organisation. Each employee brings a different outlook, fresh ideas and new skills which have all helped make Emirates the successful international airline that it is today,” he said.
Massive profits
In the financial year 2010-11, Emirates’ average employee count was 38,797 for the airline and 56,768 for the entire group.
Offsetting industry challenges, Emirates generated a massive 52 per cent jump in profit for the financial year 2010-11.
The airline’s net profit rose to Dh5.4 billion in the year, up from 2009-10’s Dh3.5 billion.
The revenues for the Arab world’s largest carrier grew 25 per cent over last year to Dh54.4 billion, largely driven by strong demand and new aircraft joining the fleet.
By Shweta Jain?Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2011. All rights reserved.
