Dubai's Emirates Airline posted a 13 per cent increase in record half-year profits after tax to Dh9.9 billion ($2.7 billion) amid “strong and sustained” travel demand across regions that withstood geopolitical turbulence.

The airline recorded revenue of Dh65.6 billion, up six per cent year on year, on “unabated” travel demand, especially for premium cabins, it said in a statement on Thursday. Emirates' fiscal year ends in March.

Emirates “maintained its position as the world’s most profitable airline for the period, thanks to strong demand and growing customer preference for our premium products and services”, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and group, said.

The airline's performance was driven by “unflagging demand”, he added, and the appetite for travel is expected to continue in the second half of its fiscal year.

“Global demand for air transport and travel services has been buoyant, despite geopolitical events and economic concerns in some markets. We expect this demand resilience to continue for the rest of 2025-26,” Sheikh Ahmed said.

Emirates expects to increase its capacity to grow revenue as new Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft join its fleet and new facilities open for global airport services company dnata, he added.

The wider Emirates Group, which includes dnata, posted a 13 per cent increase in half-year profits after tax to Dh10.6 billion, its fourth consecutive year of record profitability for the half-year reporting period, Sheikh Ahmed said.

The group recorded revenue of Dh75.4 billion, up four per cent year-on-year, as the airline carried more passengers through its Dubai hub.

The group also paid the remaining Dh2 billion in dividends, of the Dh6 billion declared during the 2024-2025 financial year, to its government shareholder.

The group's workforce grew 3 per cent to 124,927 employees during the April to September period. Emirates and dnata are continuing to recruit to meet future requirements.

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Load factor dip

The Dubai airline carried 27.8 million passengers during the six-month period, up 4 per cent from the same time last year.

Capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), increased five per cent year-on-year. Emirates received five new A350 aircraft, while 23 Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s with fully refreshed interiors rolled out of its $5 billion retrofit programme.

However, load factor, a measure of how well an airline fills available seats with paying passengers, dipped slightly to 79.5 per cent, compared to 80 per cent during the same period last year.

Emirates’ operating costs, including fuel, increased 4 per cent, in line with increased operations, it said. Fuel remained the largest component of the airline’s operating costs at 30 per cent.

Emirates airline has unveiled its first A350 passenger plane. Emirates The economy-class section inside the plane. Emirates Emirates airline president Sir Tim Clark on board with Abdulla bin Touq, Minister of Economy. Janelle Meager / The National Sir Tim shows Mr bin Touq round the new aircraft. Emirates The premium economy section. Emirates Comfort is the name of the game in business class. Photo: Emirates Emirates expects 64 more A350s to be delivered over the next three and half years. Janelle Meager / The National The A350 handover is Airbus's 175th delivery to Emirates since the first one in 1987.