Emirates
is the world’s third-largest international airline by seats for sale and the number one for long-haul service. Its large scale, international-only operation and widebody-only fleet heavily influence this. While it is first for international available seat miles, its fleet choice means it is ‘only’ 14th for flights. These results are derived from examining OAG data.
A fleeting look at its aircraft
According to ch-aviation, Emirates currently has 259 aircraft, not all active. It has 121 Boeing 777-300ERs, 116 Airbus A380s (including the two-class 615-seater), 11 777Fs, 10 777-200LRs, and one VIP-configured A319. Some of its passenger aircraft, including in premium class, have horribly outdated products.
Emirates’ first A350-900 is due to be delivered in October, and entry into service is planned for December to Edinburgh. Emirates has an average of 413 seats/flight—a huge amount to fill consistently, hence some dodgy loads—more than any other large operator.
Unless stated, all figures in this article relate to Emirates, not its narrowbody-operating partner, flydubai, which has just introduced its new shortest route.
Passenger flights to 75 countries
Analyzing data supplied by the airline to OAG indicates that its passenger aircraft serve 75 countries from its Dubai hub between July and December 2024 (the second half of the year).
Comparing now to before the pandemic in 2019 indicates that two countries have joined its ranks: Colombia (June 2024, with Bogotá via Miami becoming its longest passenger route) and Madagascar (September 2024; Antananarivo via Seychelles). Moreover, it will return to Nigeria in October 2024, having last served the country two years ago because the carrier could not repatriate revenue in USD.
However, it no longer flies to Afghanistan (but partner flydubai does), Chile, Croatia (replaced by flydubai), Myanmar (due to the civil war), or Sudan (due to the civil war).
Photo: Emirates
Emirates’ top 10 countries
The following figure highlights the Emirates’ 10 most-served countries, which collectively have nearly one in two of the carrier’s seats (48%). All but two have fewer seats than in the second half of 2019; their recoveries continue. Some are significantly reduced compared to Emirates’ networkwide capacity reduction (-11%).
Pakistan, for example, is down by nearly a quarter. While Emirates serves Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Sialkot, it has an average of eight daily flights, down from 10 in 2019. Pakistan’s financial situation and foreign reserve crisis did not help, as foreign carriers struggled to repatriate cash.
That said, flydubai’s Pakistan presence has doubled. It introduced Islamabad and Lahore flights in July 2024, supplementing its presence in five other Pakistani cities. When Emirates and flydubai are combined, seats have risen by 5%. They have been redistributed.
Source of data: OAG. Figure: James Pearson
A quarter of seats are to three countries
The top three countries—the UK, India, and the US—are so important that they account for one in four of its seats for sale. They are critical for its point-to-point and transfer passengers, without which much of its other network would not exist or be served as much.
This does not suggest they are highly profitable but crucial for feed and its overall operation. Indeed, Emirates’ president Sir Tim Clark said last year, “The profit Heathrow generates is more than we get out of west Asia—India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka—so you can see why it’s so important.” Hence, six daily A380s to the UK’s busiest airport.
In the second half of 2024, Emirates will serve eight UK airports (including Edinburgh’s return in December), nine in India, and 12 in the US. Due to the UK’s capacity rise (+1%) and India’s decline (-6%), the UK overtook the South Asian nation for the top spot. Yet, as everyone knows, the two countries rely massively on one another for Emirates’ traffic.