c
 (Arabic: Ε΍ έ΍ϡ ·ϝ΍ ϥ΍έϱρ 6ayarān al-Imārātî is a major airline in the Middle East, and

a subsidiary of The Emirates Group. It is the national airline of Dubai, United Arab Emirates and
operates around 2200 passenger flights per week,[1] from its hub at Dubai International Airport
Terminal 3, to 106 destinations in 60 countries across 6 continents.[2] The company also operates
four of some of the world's longest non-stop commercial flights from Dubai to Los Angeles, San
Francisco, São Paulo and, Houston all on the Boeing 777-200LR.[3][4] Emirates is a subsidiary of
The Emirates Group, which has over 50,000 employees, and is wholly-owned by the
Government of Dubai directly under the Investment Corporation of Dubai.[5] Cargo activities are
undertaken by the Emirates Group's Emirates SkyCargo division.[6]

During the mid-1980s, Gulf Air began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result Emirates was
conceived in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's royal family, whose Dubai Royal Air Wing
provided two of the airline's first aircraft. It was required to operate independent of government
subsidies, apart from $10 million in start-up capital. The airline became headed by Ahmed bin
Saeed Al Maktoum, the airline's present chairman. In the years following its founding, the airline
expanded both its fleet and its destinations.[7] In October 2008, Emirates moved all operations at
Dubai International Airport to Terminal 3, a new terminal exclusively dedicated to Emirates.

Emirates operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft and is one of only nine
airlines to operate an all wide-body aircraft fleet. The centrepiece of the airline's fleet is the
Boeing 777. Emirates also has orders for 58 Airbus A380s and became the second operator of
the Airbus A380-800 after Singapore Airlines when their first aircraft was delivered on 28 July
2008.[8] Emirates has won numerous awards and is an industry bellwether for aircraft purchases,
purchasing over 130 aircraft in 2007 alone.[9]

The airline ranks amongst the top 10 carriers worldwide in terms of revenue, passenger
kilometres, and has become the largest airline in the Middle East in terms of revenue, fleet size,
and passengers carried as of 2007.[10] In 2009 the airline was the seventh-largest airline in the
world in terms of international passengers carried,[11] and fourth-largest[12] in the world in terms
of scheduled international passenger-kilometres flown.

Emirates has built up a strong brand name as a trendsetter in the aviation industry, particularly in
terms of service excellence, coupled with consistent profitability.[13] In 2009, Emirates was voted
the fifth best airline in the world by research consultancy firm Skytrax.[14]

X


[hide]

dV 1 History
V 1.1 Origins
V 1.2 Incorporation and growth
V 1.3 Modern history
V 1.4 Airbus A380
V 1.5 Terminal 3
 dV 2 Corporate management
V 2.1 Structure and employment
V 2.2 Subsidiaries
V 2.3 Financial and operational performance
dV 3 Branding
dV 4 Destinations
V 4.1 Codeshare agreements
dV 5 Fleet
V 5.1 Passenger
V 5.2 Cargo
dV 6 Environmental record
V 6.1 Fleet efficiency
dV 7 Services
V 7.1 Cabin
V 7.2 In-flight entertainment system
šV 7.2.1 ICE
V 7.3 Ground services
V 7.4 Lounges
V 7.5 Chauffer-drive
dV 8 Frequent Flyer Program
V 8.1 Skywards
dV 9 Business model
dV 10 Marketing and sponsorships
dV 11 Incidents and accidents
dV 12 Notes
dV 13 Footnotes
dV 14 References
dV 15 External links

º
 

 
º
 




Boeing 777-300ER
During the mid-1980s, Gulf Air began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result Emirates was
conceived in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's royal family, whose Dubai Royal Air Wing
provided two of the airline's first aircraft, used Boeing 727-200/Advs. It was required to operate
independent of government subsidies, apart from $10 million in start-up capital. It also leased a
new Boeing 737-300 from Pakistan International Airlines which was returned in 1987.[15]

The first flight of the airline was, Dubai-Karachi on 25 October 1985.[16] The airline leased an
Airbus 300B4-200, from Pakistan International Airlines. Bombay and Delhi were the next
destinations for the airline.

Emirates became profitable within its first nine months. During its first year, it carried about
260,000 passengers and 10,000 tons of freight. By 1986, the airline was adding new destinations
such as Colombo, Dhaka, Amman, and Cairo to its route network. Emirates launched daily
nonstop service to London Gatwick on 6 July 1987 with two new Airbus A310s. It also started
flights to Singapore. The airline in 1987 added Frankfurt via Istanbul, and Male (Maldive
Islandsî. Emirates lacked a regional network, as its main competitor Gulf Air also dominated
traffic in the region.

This growth came as the region was experiencing a downturn, with the Gulf War and the laying
off expatriate workers as factors. In its second year, competitors had accused Emirates of starting
a price war, something the airline's competitors still accuse Emirates of doing. By the end of
1987, Emirates was serving 11 destinations.[17]

º
 
  


  

Emirates had become one of the world's fastest growing airlines by the early 1990s. Revenues
increased by about $100 million each year, approaching $500 million in the year 1993. It carried
68,000 tons of cargo and 1.6 million passengers in the same year. The Gulf War had helped
Emirates by keeping other airlines out of the area. Emirates was the only airline to continue
flying in the last ten days of the war.[à tat
n needed]

Emirates operated nine A310s by 1998

A partnership agreement with US Airways entered in the fall of 1993 allowed Emirates to offer
services round the world. It previously had cooperation agreements with Cyprus Airways. By
1994, the airline was connecting 32 destinations with its 15 aircraft. At this time Emirates was
the sixth largest airline in the Middle East.
Emirates took in revenues of $643.4 million in the year ending 30 March 1994. The airline had
4,000 employees and carried two million passengers a year between 34 destinations with a fleet
of 18 Airbus aircraft. Seven new Boeing 777s worth over $1 billion were ordered in 1992 which
began to arrive in the spring of 1996. One of the planes was used on a new service to Melbourne
via Singapore. Emirates placed a large order with Airbus later the same year. In spite of the large
capital expenditures, the Dubai government had laid out only $50 million since the airline's
inception.

A total of 92 air carriers were flying to markets internationally and Emirates faced intense
competition at its home base. It carried about three million passengers a year to Dubai
International Airport in the mid-1990s. Emirates continued to expand during the late 1990s. The
growing cargo business accounted for 16 percent of the airline's total revenues.

Airbus A330-200 lands at London Heathrow Airport

In May 1998, Emirates paid the Government of Sri Lanka $70 million for a 40 percent stake in
SriLankan Airlines (formerly known as Air Lankaî. As part of the deal, Emirates received a 10
year contract to manage SriLankan.[18] In January 2008, Emirates announced that it would give
back management of SriLankan Airlines to the Sri Lankan Government, effective April
2008.[18][19] However there are no plans to remove or decrease the stake in the airline.[18]

º
  

 

Towards the end of the year 2000, Emirates was planning to start ultra-long-haul service to the
East Coast and West Coast of the United States as well as nonstop flights to Australia and
Argentina. Traffic continued to grow at a rate of 20 percent in 1999-2000.

The Boeing 777 has become an integral part of the fleet in recent years
In 2005, Emirates began flying non-stop to New York City's John F. Kennedy International
Airport using their new Airbus A340-500. These flights marked new non-stop air services
between the United Arab Emirates and the USA, after Delta Air Lines's flights since 2001,
terminated later[20][21] and restarted again in 2007.

South Asia is an important region for the Emirates network. Pakistan was the first country to
receive flights from the airline and it still does to this day.[22] India was the second country to
receive flights from Emirates, and continues to expand an extensive network in India. Emirates is
the largest airline operating internationally, in India, and operates over 185 flights a week across
10 cities.[23]

Emirates has been steadily capturing the traffic from South Asia to North America, allowing
passengers to bypass the traditional hubs of London Heathrow, Frankfurt, and Paris-Charles de
Gaulle Airport; the home bases of British Airways, Lufthansa, and Air France, with a transit stop
at Dubai International Airport instead. Similarly, Emirates competes with British Airways,
Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, and other airlines on the
lucrative London to Sydney Kangaroo Route.[24]

º
 


Airbus A380-800 landing at London Heathrow Airport in October 2009

Emirates announced an order in April 2000 as the first launch customer for the Airbus A3XX
(later named Airbus A380î, the largest civil aircraft ever built. The deal comprised five Airbus
A380-800s and two Airbus A380-800F. The deal was confirmed on 4 November 2001 and
Emirates announced orders for 15 more A380-800s at the same time. Two years later Emirates
once again ordered 21 A380-800s. In April 2006, Emirates ordered two more A380-800s,
however they cancelled their two orders for the freighter variant. In 2007, Emirates ordered 15
A380-800s, bringing their order to 58.[25] Emirates justified its order saying that purchasing the
481- to 656-passenger super jumbo was to maximize its use of scarce takeoff and landing slots at
crowded airports like London Heathrow.

In November 2005, the first A380-800 in full Emirates livery was flown to Dubai, where it was
displayed at Dubai Airshow 2005.[26] On 20 November 2005, Emirates ordered 42 Boeing 777s,
to help with its expansion. This order came one day after Airbus announced that the A380-800
superjumbo would be delayed by another six months.[27] A third delay was announced on 3
October 2006, pushing the initial delivery of the first A380-800 to October 2007.[28] The
announcement was met with anger by Emirates' President, Tim Clark, who threatened to cancel
their Airbus order as it was affecting the airline's expansion plan, saying:

It's very serious. This will do us serious damage. Compensation is not our

w target, what we really seek is to give a chance for Airbus to deliver what
they promised so that we can assess, because we need that aircraft.[29]


Emirates A380-800 taxiing at Dubai International Airport

In total as of April 2008, Airbus paid as much as $110 million during 2007 in compensation for
the late delivery of the A380-800 to Emirates for the delays.[30]

On 1 August 2008 Emirates flew its first A380-800 flight, with 489 passengers, from Dubai to
New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.[31] [32] The airline now uses their Airbus
A380-800 on flights to Bangkok,[33] Sydney, Toronto, Auckland,[34] and London Heathrow with
double daily services commencing from July 1st 2010.[34] Flights to Seoul started on December
14, 2009, and flights to Paris started on December 29, 2009.[35][36]. During 2010 as more aircraft
are delivered, the A380 will resume flights to New York-JFK and will be deployed to Jeddah[37]
four times weekly from February 1st, 2010.

In February 2009, Emirates raised many issues concerning its A380 superjumbos.[38][39] Emirates
gave a 46-page presentation in Toulouse, informing Airbus officials about heat-damaged power
cables, defective engines and numerous malfunctions reportedly to be mainly caused by the two
showers built in the aircraft.[40][41][41][42][43]

º
 



Main article: Dubai International Airport#Terminal 3

c

 
A promotional video used by Emirates on Terminal 3

Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3 was built exclusively for the use of Emirates at a cost of
$4.5 billion and officially opened 14 October 2008. Terminal 3 is the largest building in the
world by floor space, with over 1,500,000 m2 (370 acresî of space. The Terminal has annual
capacity of 27 million passengers, and with the expansion of Concourse 3, will have an annual
capacity of 43 million passengers by 2011, once concourse 3 is complete.[44] The new concourse
3 will be exclusively for the A380- 800.[45][46] [47]

º
 X   
  


The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is a subsidiary of the Dubai
government investment company, Investment Corporation of Dubai.[48][49][50] The airline has
recorded a profit every year, except the second, and growth has never fallen below 20% a year.
In its first 11 years, it doubled in size every 3.5 years, and has every four years since.[51]

In 2008 Emirates paid dividends worth US$776 million to the Government of Dubai. The
government has received Dhs3.1 billion from Emirates since dividends started being paid in
1999 for having provided an initial start-up capital of US$10 million and an additional
investment of about US$80 million at the time of the airline's inception,[52] the Dubai
government is the sole owner of the company. However, it does not put any new money into it,
nor does it interfere with running the airline.[51]

º
 
   


Emirates has diversified into related industries and sectors, including airport services,
engineering, hospitality services, catering, and tour operator operations. Emirates has 4
subsidiaries and its parent company has more than 50.[53][54]

Emirates employed a total of 28,037 staff at the end of the fiscal year on 31 March 2009.[55] Its
parent company, The Emirates Group, employed a total of 48,246 employees of which 10,324
were cabin crew, 2,141 were flight deck crew, 1,849 were in engineering, and 9,379 were listed
as other.[56]

º
 




Main article: Emirates subsidiaries

Emirates has diversified in to related industries and sectors, including aircraft ground handling,
aviation engineering, air catering, and tour operator operations. Emirates has over 6 subsidiaries,
whilst its parent company has over 50.

º
 




 

  


In the financial year 2008-09 reached passenger numbers reached 22.7 million, representing an
increase of 7.1% over the previous year. Cargo carried in 2008-09 improved by 9.8% to
1,408,300 tonnes (2007-08: 1,282,134 tonnesî. [57] The airline's profits however were down 72%
for the 2008/09 fiscal year. Its profit of 1.49bn dirhams ($406m; £255mî for the year to March
31 compared with a 5.3bn dirhams profit for the previous year.[58][59]
The airline was the seventh-largest airline in the world in terms of international passengers
carried,[11] and fourth-largest[12] in the world in terms of scheduled international passenger-
kilometres flown. It is also the seventh-largest in terms of scheduled freight tonne-kilometres
flown (sixth in scheduled international freight tonne-kilometres flownî.[60]

In the first six months of 2009, Emirates posted a 165 per cent jump in net profits to Dh752
million ($205 millionî, for the first six months of the current financial year ending September 30,
up from Dh284 million ($77 millionî in the same period of 2008. Revenues of the airline, which
entered its 25th year in October, declined 13.5 per cent to Dh19.8 billion ($5.4 billionî compared
with Dh22.9 billion ($6.2 billionî recorded last year, due to lower passenger and cargo yields.
The increased profits came mostly from 18 per cent capacity growth by adding eight new aircraft
to the fleet that has grown to 139. The airline carried 13 million passengers and over 700,000
tonnes of cargo.[61]

c







   
[D][62]

! 
 X 
 
 c

 %  
&' 
c
   
  " 
#  "c$ #  "c$ #  "c$ # 
31 March
1997
3,114.3 159.4 1,198.7 1,097.1 Ÿ101.623
31 March
1998
3,683.4 200.1 4,089.1 3,826.7 Ÿ262.413
31 March
1999
4,252.7 214.2 4,442.9 4,130.2 Ÿ312.959
31 March
2000
4,775.4 269.9 5,113.8 4,812.9 Ÿ300.900
31 March
2001
5,718.8 335.2 6,417.3 5,970.7 Ÿ421.825
31 March
2002
6,765.1 400.6 7,274.6 6,783.7 Ÿ468.231
31 March
2003
8,502.8 525.2 9,709.7 8,749.6 Ÿ906.747
31 March
2004
10,441.3 659.8 13,286.3 11,602.1 Ÿ1,573.511
31 March
2005
12,528.7 838.4 18,130.9 15,628.3 Ÿ 2,407.385
31 March
2006
14,497.5 1 ,018.5 23,050.9 20,489.6 Ÿ 2,474.97
31 March
2007
17,544.1 1,155.9 29,839.6 26,675.9 Ÿ 3,096.4
31 March
2008
21,229.2 1,282.1 40,196.6 35,121.7 Ÿ 5,020.4
31 March
2009
22,730.9 1,408.3 44,188.9 43,143.4 ź 981.7

º
 (




The calligraphy of the logo in Arabic on the engines

c

 
A promotional video launched in 2008, to promote the
airline's new First Class Airbus A380-800 product

From 2004, the airline changed its slogan to rly Em rates. Keep D sà
er ng In 2008, Emirates
launched a slogan mainly revolving around their route network of 100 destinations in 55++
countries across six continents - rly Em rates. Keep D sà
er ng and rly Em rates. T

er S 
C
nt nents.[63] Most recently Emirates launched a campaign to promote Dubai as a destination
using the slogan rly Em rates. Meet Duba .

dV The r nest n the Sky

dV Îe G

d t
y
urself. rly Em rates
dV hen was the last t me y
u d d s
meth ng f
r the f rst t me.
dV rly Em rates. Keep D sà
er ng

Emirates introduced a new design in August 2008 for its 16,000 uniformed staff, designed by
Simon Jersey plc. The offboard uniform includes the Emirates hat, red kick-pleats in the skirts,
more fitted blouses and the return of red leather shoes and handbags. For the onboard uniform,
male and female cabin crew wear service waistcoats in place of the previously worn service
jackets and tabards. The male flight attendants wear a chocolate brown suit, featuring pinstripes,
with a cream shirt and a caramel, honey and red tie. Both male and female Pursers wear this
chocolate brown color, but with no red featured.[64]

Since its formation in 1985, though to a limited extent until all aircraft were repainted, Emirates
aeroplanes carried a section of the United Arab Emirates flag on the tail fins, a calligraphy of the
logo in Arabic on the engines and the "Emirates" logo on the fuselage both in Arabic and
English. The colour scheme used since 1985 was changed in November 1999 to the one still in
use today. This change saw the modification of logotype, the enlargement and move of the
English logo (the Arabic remaining smallerî towards the front of the aircraft and a different,
flowing flag on the tailfin.[65] Some newer aircraft such as the Airbus A380-800, have the
Emirates logo painted on the belly of the aircraft. Emirates aircraft also have the Fifa World Cup
logo on them, as Emirates is the official airline sponsor. [66]

º
 $





Boeing 777-300 at Singapore Changi Airport

Main article: Emirates destinations

Emirates operates 1,883 flights every week across its network of 103 destinations in 65 countries
on six continents from its hub in Dubai.[67] Several new destinations are added each year.

º
 X   


As of February 2010, Emirates has codeshare agreements with the following airlines[68]:

dV Air Malta dV Jet Airways dV Royal Air Maroc

dV Air Mauritius dV Korean Air dV South African Airways
dV Continental Airlines dV Oman Air dV Thai Airways
dV Japan Airlines dV Philippine Airlines dV È Australia

º
 
Main article: Emirates Fleet
Emirates Airbus A330-200 (A6-EKSî landing at London Heathrow Airport

Boeing 777-300ER (A6-EBAî the first of the -300ER variant to be delivered on 25 March 2005
completing its first flight to Düsseldorf International Airport

Emirates Boeing 777-300 (A6-EMPî taxiing on NC3 taxiway at Singapore Changi Airport

Emirates operates an exclusively wide-bodied aircraft fleet making up from 3 aircraft families:
the Airbus A330 / A340, Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777. In keeping with its policy of
maintaining a young fleet, which stands at an average of 5.7 years in April 2008,[69] it renews its
fleet frequently. It operates the youngest fleet of any major airline as of May 2009. On 30 July
2009, Emirates received its 45th Boeing 777-300ER making it the world's largest operator of
Boeing 777s with 83 in the fleet as of January 11th 2010.[70]

In July 2008, Emirates received its first Airbus A380-800 and in August 2008, it became the
second airline to fly the Airbus A380-800, after Singapore Airlines.[71] Emirates Aircraft
utilisation remains one of the highest in the industry at 13.7 hours per day.[56]

Speaking at the recent IATA 2009 annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Tim Clark,
Emirates's President, said that they would be operating around 163 aircraft in three years, and
that they have to consider the 58 aircraft that are to be retired within the coming years, including
the A330-200, A340-300 and 777-200/-300 Classics.[72]

º
  


The Emirates passenger aircraft fleet consists of the following widebody aircraft as of December
2009:[73][74]

c


       

 "
&(

&c
# 
237 (12/42/183î
Airbus A330-200 29 0
278 (0/27/251î
Airbus A340-300 8 0 267 (12/42/213î
Airbus A340-500 10 0 258 (12/42/204î
Airbus A350-900 0 50 TBA
Airbus A350-1000 0 20 TBA
489 (14/76/399î
Airbus A380-800 8 50
517 (14/76/427î
290 (12/42/236î
Boeing 777-200 3 0
346 (0/42/304î
Boeing 777-200ER 6 0 290 (12/42/236î
Boeing 777-200LR 10 0 266 (8/42/216î
380 (18/42/320î
Boeing 777-300 12 0
434 (0/49/385î
354 (8/42/304î
358 (12/42/304î
Boeing 777-300ER 51 20 364 (12/42/310î
427 (0/42/385î
442 (0/42/400î
  )* )+

º
 X 

Emirates SkyCargo Airbus A310-300F A6-EFC at Zürich Airport

Main article: Emirates SkyCargo

Emirates Cargo is the air freight division of Emirates. It began operations in October 1985, the
same year Emirates was formed. Since then it has been the main cargo division of Emirates, and
the anchor cargo airline at Dubai International Airport.

º
 c



 

The airline claims to have lower emissions than other airlines due to its fleet which has an
average fuel burn of less than four litres for every 100 passenger kilometres they fly.[75] The
Cargo division of the airline also uses an efficient hub-based operation, using fewer flights
needed to transport the same number of people.

º
 




c

 
Emirates Environmental Corporate Èideo

dV Emirates has stated that their versions of A380-800 will offer fuel economy of 3.1 litres
per 100 passenger km. Emirates A380-800s also feature the Engine Alliance GP7200
engines, which save 500,000 litres of fuel per aircraft per year.[76]
dV The company uses a program called "Flextracks". The technology is used to plan and
optimize routes efficiency and load factor.
dV Emirates has invested in a program called "tailored arrivals". This allows air traffic
control to uplink to aircraft on route. It first determines the speed and flight profile from
the air onto the runway, this allows the crew to accept and fly a continuous descent
profile, saving fuel and emissions.[77]
dV Emissions are lowered by using aircraft like the Boeing 777-300ER, which uses one
engine to taxi the aircraft to its airbridge.[78]

º
 

º
 X



First Class

First Class suite on a Boeing 777-200LR

First class passengers have a full suite, complete with closing doors to ensure privacy, a mini-
bar, a coat rack and storage. They also feature the ICE system on a 23 in (58 cmî LCD screen.
The seat converts into a 2 m (6 ft 7 inî fully flat bed. Private suites are being introduced on the
latest B777-300ERs, the B777-300s and B777-200LRs. They are already installed on all ten of
Emirates Airbus A340-500 aircraft, and on all of the Airbus A380-800 aircraft.
The older Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 777-200s and selected Boeing 777-300s feature flat beds
with integrated passenger seat control, along with the ICE system and a 19 in (48 cmî screen.
First class seats may also include a personal minibar.[79] On its newly delivered A380-800, first
class features private suites,[80] two shower-equipped lavatories and spa,[81] and access to the
first/business class bar area and lounge.[82] Premium class seating is located on the entire upper
deck of A380-800 aircraft.

In 2009, Emirates was voted the second best First Class by Skytrax. Skytrax had said that the
Emirates A380-800 product greatly helped influence its position.[83]

Business Class

Business Class cabin on the Airbus A380-800

Business class on Boeing 777-200LRs, 777-300s and Boeing 777-300/ERs feature seats with a
60 in (150 cmî pitch that recline to 79 in (200 cmî-long, angled lie-flat beds.[84] Amenities
include massage function, privacy partition, winged headrest with six-way movement, two
individual reading lights and an overhead light per seat, in-seat power supply, USB Ports and an
RCA socket for laptop connection, over 600 channels of entertainment on ICE, shown on a 17 in
(43 cmî wide TÈ screen.

Onboard bar behind the Business Class cabin on the Airbus A380-800

The A340-500s have deeply reclining sleeper seats which have a 60 in (150 cmî pitch and are
18 in (46 cmî wide. All A340-500 aircraft feature the ICE system in all three classes. The Boeing
777-200s have deeply reclining seats which are almost lie-flat. They have a 58 in (150 cmî pitch
and are 20.5 in (52 cmî wide. The Boeing 777-200s also feature the ICE system. On Airbus
A330 aircraft and A340-300s, the seats are standard business class recliners and feature a leg rest
and seat back screens. These business class seats are smaller than other business class seats in the
Emirates fleet as these aircraft are used predominantly on short-medium haul routes. On Airbus
A380-800 aircraft, the seats recline to form a fully flat bed and are equipped with personal mini-
bars. Business class passengers also have access to an on-board bar at the rear of the aircraft.[84]
Business class passengers have the ability to customize and save seat and in-flight entertainment
settings to a memory key for re-use on future flights.[85]

Economy class

Economy Class on an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER

Emirates Economy Class offers a 32-34 inch seat pitch (81±86 cmî and standard seat width
(except on the Boeing 777 fleetî. The seat features adjustable headrests, a 600-1000 channel ICE
In-Flight-Entertainment and in-seat laptop power-outlets on newer aircraft and laptop recharging
facilities in galleys in older aircraft. There is additional recline on A380 Economy Class
seats.[86][87][88]

Economy Class on an Emirates Airbus A380-800

Economy class breakfast served on EK 533 (A330-200î flight from COK-DXB on Aug 3, 2009.
Emirates is unusual in that it operates a ten-abreast, 3-4-3, seating configuration on its 777 fleet
(rather than the customary 3-3-3 configurationî. Other airlines with this layout include Air
France-KLM (on selected 777-300ER aircraftî, China Southern Airlines, Philippine Airlines and
two Japanese airlines in domestic services (All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlinesî.[89]

º
 





 

Emirates became the first airline in the world to introduce a personal entertainment system on a
commercial aircraft after introducing the world¶s first seat-back screens in 1992. All three classes
feature a personal In-Flight-Entertainment (IFEî system on Emirates aircraft. There are three
types of entertainment system on Emirates: àe; àe D g tal  desàreen; and Em rates trad
.

Emirates has won the award for best In-Flight-Entertainment from Skytrax for their ICE system
every year since the systems inception in 2003. At present, almost 70% of the fleet has the ice in-
flight entertainment and by 2011 the entire Emirates fleet is set to have the system. ICE offers
more channels than any other in-flight entertainment system.[90]

Emirates tv&radio, is also offered mainly on short haul routes, and 30% of the Emirates fleet,
offers passengers with 15 video and 26 audio channels, as well as 50 video games. Also available
are BBC headlines, an Airshow and external cameras giving a birdseye view from the plane.[91]

º
 Xc

ICE (Information, Communication, Entertainmentî is the In-Flight-Entertainment system

operated by Emirates.

Introduced in 2003, ICE is available on all new aircraft and features between 600 and 1000
channels to all passengers.[92] ICE is found on the airline¶s Airbus A380-800, Airbus A340-500,
Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777-200/LR aircraft. It is also available on all Boeing 777-300
aircraft which have all been retrofitted.[93]

In July 2007, Emirates introduced ICE Digital Widescreen, an updated version of ICE. It offers
over 1000 channels of entertainment (up from 600î available to all passengers. ICE Digital
Widescreen is available on all new aircraft.[94]

Information

The system is based on the 
system from Panasonic Avionics Corporation. ICE provides
passengers with a direct data link to BBC News. ICE is the first IFE system to be connected
directly to automatic news updates. This is complemented by ICE's „ rsh
w moving-map
software from Rockwell Collins. Exterior cameras located on the aircraft can be viewed by any
passenger, through the IFE system, during takeoff and landing. Emirates was also one of the first
airlines to introduce high-speed, in-flight Internet service along with Singapore Airlines, by
installing the Inmarsat¶s satellite system and became the second airline in the world to offer live
international television broadcasts using the same system.[95]
Communication
Communication

ICE also contains a link to an in-flight email server which allows passengers to access, send or
receive emails for US $1 per message.[96] ICE also contains a seat-to-seat chat service. In
November 2006 the airline signed a deal with mobile communications firm AeroMobile to allow
in-flight use of mobile phones to call or text people on the ground, on selected 777s. The service
was first introduced on a commercial service between Dubai and Casablanca on 20 March
2008.[97]

Entertainment

Entertainment

The ICE system includes movies, music, and video games. ICE offers over 130 on-demand
movie titles and 15 video on demand channels, 60 prerecorded television channels, 350 audio
channels, and around 50 video-game titles. ICE can also be accessed in 10 languages such as
English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, Korean, and Japanese.[98] Since 2003, all
entertainment options are available on-demand to all classes with options to pause, forward, and
rewind them.

Emirates now features docking capability for Apple Inc.'s iPod portable music and video player
as of mid-2007. This allows the device's battery to be charged, but also allows integration with
Emirates' in-flight entertainment (IFEî system. This also enables the IFE system to play music,
television shows, or movies stored on the iPod, as well as function as a control system.[99]

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Emirates self-service check-in at Dubai International Airport

Passengers may check-in between two to 48 hours prior to flight departure. This may be done
over the counter or at the lounge within the airport. Self-service kiosks are also available at
Dubai International Airport.[100]

Alternatively, they may check-in through the Internet or by short message service. Online
printing of boarding passes is available through Internet check-in. Passengers on short trips may
also check-in on their return flight upon departure from the city of origin.

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First and business class passengers, as well as Skywards Gold members, have access to Emirates
Lounges. The airline has 27 lounges in 23 cities, with plans for 12 more.[à tat
n needed] Skywards
Silver members can use the lounge in Terminal One at Dubai. At airports in which Emirates does
not operate a departure lounge, a third party departure lounge is usually provided for First and
Business class passengers as well as Skywards Gold.

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First and business class passengers can make use of complimentary chauffer-driven airport
transfers in selected cities.

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Emirates uses Skywards as their Frequent flyer program.

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Main article: The Emirates Group#Skywards

Skywards is a three tier frequent flier program operated by Emirates. It is used by over 5.72
million customers.[101] The three tiers are Blue, Silver which requires 25,000 tier miles for entry,
and Gold, which requires 50,000 tier miles for entry.[102]
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Emirates aircraft parked at Dubai International Airport

Main articles: Emirates Business Model and Emirates Rivalry

The established network carriers in Europe and Australia, i.e. Air France-KLM, British Airways,
Lufthansa, and Qantas, perceive Emirates' strategic decision to reposition itself as a global carrier
as a major threat because it enables air travellers to by-pass traditional airline hubs such as
London Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, and Frankfurt Airports on their way between
Europe/North America and Asia/Australia by changing flights in Dubai instead. These carriers
also find it difficult to deal with the growing competitive threat Emirates poses to their business
because of their much higher cost base. The Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways is also looking to
take traffic away from Emirates.[103]

Some of these carriers²notably Air France and Qantas²are so concerned about the detrimental
effects of Emirates' growth on their future ability to compete with it on a level playing field that
they have resorted to openly accusing their Dubai-based rival of receiving hidden state subsidies
and of maintaining too cosy a relationship with Dubai's airport authority as well as its aviation
authority, both of which are also wholly state-owned entities that share the same government
owner with the airline. In addition, they have also accused Emirates of taking unfair advantage of
its government shareholders' sovereign borrower status. They claim that this masks its true
financial performance and reduces its borrowing costs below market rates.[51][104][105]

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The Emirates Stadium in London

Emirates is a sponsor of sports clubs and events, both at its home base and in its overseas
markets. It sponsors the annual Dubai Shopping Festival, the Dubai Summer Surprises and the
West Australian Symphony Orchestra as well as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.[106] As of
April 2009, Emirates spends 2.7% of its of its total budget on Marketing and
Communications.[107] For Emirates, marketing expenses account for a far greater share of its total
costs than for most of its competitors.[à tat
n needed] In the English-speaking world the sponsorship
always carries the words "Fly Emirates". Emirates sponsors Arsenal F.C. and their 60,000 seater
Emirates Stadium as well as AC Milan, Olympiacos CFP, Hamburger SÈ, Paris Saint-Germain
FC, Asian Football Confederation (AFCî, Emirates Cup, the Collingwood Football Club as well
having sponsors with Chelsea F.C. from 2001-05. As of 2009, they also sponsor the Scottish
Junior Cup known now for sponsorship reasons as the c
/

X, which is the top
prize in Scottish Junior football (as opposed to the senior football Scottish Cupî.

Emirates also funds many events in Rugby. They co-funded construction of The Sevens, a
stadium in Dubai purpose-built for the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens, with the Dubai
government.[108] They also will sponsor the Rugby World Cup 2011, IRB Referees and Match
Officials, IRB Sevens World Series, International Sevens Teams, and the Western Force.
Emirates are also a major sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand, a New Zealand based
yachting syndicate that has enjoyed success in the America's Cup.[109]

In Cricket, they sponsor Cricket Australia,[110] Lord's Taverners,[111] and Pro Arch
Tournament.[112] Their branding also features on International Cricket Umpires shirts.[113]
Emirates has also become an official partner of the International Cricket Council until 2015. This
deal gives emirates association with all major ICC tournaments, including the 2011 and 2015
ICC Cricket World Cups, ICC Champions Trophy and ICC World Twenty20.[114] They are also
the major sponsor of the Kings Xi Punjab team of Indian Premier League, the largest domestic
Cricket tournament in the world. In Power boat racing they sponsor the UIM Class 1 World
Powerboat Championship.[115]

In horse racing they sponsor the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRAî.[116] In
races, Emirates sponsor the Dubai World Cup, Melbourne Cup, Champion Stakes, Newmarket,
Yorkshire Cup, York, and The Singapore Derby.[117] They sponsor the Godolphin stables, and
the Australian Jockey Club.[118][119] Emirates also sponsor the Dubai International Racing
Carnival, Melbourne Cup Carnival, and the Australian Jockey Club¶s Autumn and Spring
Carnival.[120]

In Tennis they sponsor the Dubai Tennis Championships,[121] and the Canadian Open tennis
championships held in Montreal and Toronto. Emirates also sponsor the Dubai Grand
Racing.[122] In Golf, they sponsor 12 events, including the Dubai Desert Classic, Dubai Ladies
Masters, Malaysian Open, Hong Kong Open, BMW International Open, Austrian Open, Èolvo
Masters of Asia, Hero Honda Open, Australian PGA Championships, Africa Open, Èolvo China
Open, and the HSBC Champions.[123]

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0 




 $ 
 ' 

 $



At the call to rotate, the pilot pulled back on the stick.
However the nose then dropped and the aircraft did
not become airborne. The crew felt a rumbling,
selected full power, and about two seconds later the
aircraft lifted off the ground. The airport says that
Airbus OR Tambo
EK April threshold of runway 25, approach lights and part of
A340- International
764 9, 2004 the runway surface were damaged as the aircraft went
300 Airport
over the end of 21R. The pilot had received
ambiguous instructions regarding rotation technique
during his transition training.
[124][125]

An Emirates Airbus A340-500, registration A6-ERG,

operating as EK 407, bound for Dubai International
Airport with 225 passengers on board made an
emergency landing in Melbourne after suffering a
tailstrike on takeoff. There were no injuries amongst
the passengers or crew.[126] The jet is known to have
experienced at least one but possibly three or more tail
strikes during its takeoff roll. The jet has been
severely damaged, broken down to the underlying ribs
March Airbus
EK Melbourne or stringers in one area, in a part of the structure
21, A340-
407 Airport where the critical rear pressure bulkhead may also
2009 500
have been damaged. Early ATSB report suggests
incorrect aircraft weight entered to calculate take off
power may have contributed to the
incident.[127][128][129]

This aircraft is due to be repaired, for an estimated

amount of $ 100 million. It was flown back from Perth
to Toulouse on low altitude with depressurized
cabin.[130]

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