The Emirates Group today announced a 23.5% rise in group net profits to £500 million backed by a record £424 million profit at its airline.
The government-owned airline added three million passengers over the financial year ending March 31, 2007 despite a delay in the delivery of its A380 aircraft and rising pressure from fuel costs.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saaed Al-Maktoum, the chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said:
“These results, against a backdrop of rising costs and significant aircraft delivery delays which have impacted our capacity growth, demonstrate Emirates’ ability to adapt and knuckle down to the challenge.”
During the 2006-7 financial year Emirates, which now employs over 30,000 people, added 12 new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and launched new services to Nagoya, Tunis, Bangalore and Beijing, while increasing frequency to existing destinations like Zurich and Dusseldorf.