Emirates eyes further UK growth amid ‘high’ demand

Emirates has suggested it will “definitely” grow in the UK as soon as there are opportunities, noting the continuing strong demand from the market.

 

Jabr Al-Azeeby, who became the airline’s divisional vice-president in the UK last year, said the carrier was “very ambitious”, citing the additional services being added to both Heathrow and Gatwick.

 

He added: “We have ambitious goals and targets for the UK, so the moment we find any opportunity to grow, we’ll definitely grow – the demand is there. We’re monitoring it.”

 

This year began with a “great start”, Al-Azeeby said, noting the introduction of an Airbus A350 to Edinburgh airport, while demand across the UK bases has been “high”.

 

Six additional flights a week will start operating from Heathrow to Dubai later this month, on top of the existing six a day, giving a total of 48 services a week.

 

The airline will start operating a fourth daily flight from Gatwick to Dubai on February 8, 2026.

 

With six months until the end of Emirates’ financial year, Al-Azeeby said the airline would “definitely” consider further increasing frequencies from the UK.

 

Asked which destinations had been growing in popularity among UK travellers, he cited Australia and China and went on to forecast increased demand for Siem Reap, in Cambodia, and Vietnam.

 

“Siem Reap is a new destination for Emirates and we expect a lot of travellers to go, especially between November and May,” said Al-Azeeby.

 

“It’s a destination that British travellers always wanted and we didn’t have that service until we started this summer.”

 

The carrier, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is continuing with its retrofit programme that will cover more than 220 aircraft at a cost of $5 billion.

 

A total of 72 aircraft have been completed so far, Al-Azeeby said, with the changes including the introduction of premium economy cabins, new seats and an upgrading of the entertainment system.

 

The programme is enabling Emirates to gain an advantage over competitors who are also affected by production delays at Airbus and Boeing, Al-Azeeby argued.

 

“We’re working very closely with Airbus to be able to deliver on time on the new schedule we have, but because of those delays and because of the Boeing 777s that should have been delivered five years ago, we’re lucky that the retrofit means we’re able to compete in a better environment than our competitors,” he added.

 

He said the programme would be completed “as soon as possible”.

 

The airline is also carrying out a recruitment drive as it seeks to fill 17,000 posts across cabin crew, pilots and engineers, with a cabin crew roadshow taking place in the UK this month.

 

By February 2026, Emirates will serve the UK with 146 weekly flights across Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.