Emirates is flying on a high note thanks to its gateway platform, which allows connections between B2B and B2C channels across its network. In an interview with TTN Middle East, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates, explains: “We work with many industries and agencies around the world, the percentage and the number is really looking quite healthy. We are in an advanced stage now to bring in the phase two of the gateway.”
It’s partly the success of this platform that has seen the Emirates Group soar to new heights. In May, the Emirates Group released its 2023-24 Annual Report. Emirates and dnata saw significant profit and revenue increases in 2023-24, as the group expanded its operations.
For the financial year ended March 31, 2024, the Emirates Group posted a record profit of Dh18.7 billion ($5.1 billion), up 71 percent compared with an Dh10.9 billion profit for last year. The Group’s revenue was Dh137.3 billion, an increase of 15 percent over last year’s results.
Kazim also anticipates a bustling summer travel season, advising travellers to secure their bookings promptly due to the high demand.
“It’s going to be quite a busy summer. That’s why I think it’s important that the consumer books ahead and books as quickly as they can, to be able to secure their seat because it’s going to be a really solid summer this year with the capacity that still remains to be a challenge and not all airlines will be able to cater to the demand which is coming steadfast and at a rapid pace,” he says.
In part to keep up with demand and in part to resolve any issues that may crop up due to burgeoning demand, the UAE carrier also announced it will be refurbishing 43 A380s and 28 Boeing 777 aircraft, expanding its retrofit programme to 191 aircraft. “The refurbishment was a major investment. The company is putting money behind it for the coming years to maintain consistency as we progress,” explained Kazim.
The carrier will also gain A350 aircraft, 10 of which will join the fleet by March 31, 2025.
The airline plans to deploy its latest aircraft type to nine destinations, offering customers its latest cabin experiences starting this year. The initial 10 Emirates A350 aircraft will offer three cabin classes, with 32 Business Class seats, 21 seats in Premium Economy, and 259 Economy Class seats. At first, they will serve short- and medium-haul cities on the Emirates network, with Bahrain as its inaugural destination on September 15 in 2024.
Other destinations the A350 will service are Muscat, Kuwait, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Colombo, Lyon, Bologna and Edinburgh.
Securing its spot as a leader in the travel space, Emirates at this year’s Arabian Travel Market in Dubai signed a number of memorandums of understanding with partners from across the globe. “We were quite busy and this ATM as always, we had almost 27 MOUs that we have signed and more to come. Many of them were around partnerships with many countries and tourism engagements,” Kazim tells TTN.