The largest international airline in the world, Emirates, has one of its busiest summers ever, carrying over 14 million passengers and averaging seat loads of more than 80% over its extensive worldwide network between June and August.
Emirates’ booking patterns for the upcoming months demonstrate an unrelenting demand for foreign travel throughout its network. Two million visitors came to the airline’s hub in Dubai throughout the summer to take advantage of the destination’s year-round attractions and events, demonstrating how popular it still is with travelers. The UK, India, Germany, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, and Kuwait were among the top international destinations for Emirates during this time. Families made up more than 35% of those who traveled to Dubai on Emirates, staying an average of more than two weeks to take in all the amazing sights.
The airline forecasts a further increase in demand for travel to Dubai this winter due to the city’s busy calendar of international conferences, top-tier sporting events, and other activities. In the first half of 2023, the city has already welcomed over 8.5 million foreign tourists, which is over a million more than at the same period last year.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, said, “Travel demand across our network has been strong and resilient despite rising cost-of-living pressures in many markets. It shows the value that people place on travel – whether for work, play, study, or visiting loved ones; and how essential international air connectivity is to communities.”
He added, “As an early mover in restoring our flying schedules, Emirates worked closely with our industry partners to ensure our readiness to serve customer demand as well as attract visitors through building on the appeal of our home and hub, Dubai. We’re happy to see strong customer preference for our product in all cabin classes, especially in our premium cabins. Emirates will continue to ensure we are delivering the best value for money to our customers, by investing in our products, and services, and in operating an efficient global network.”
Over 14 million passengers were transported on Emirates’ nearly 50,000 flights between 140 locations from June to August.