Emirates, the international airline of the UAE, has started the new millennium with a major fleet expansion and renewal programme that will make it a truly global carrier.
Emirates operates a fleet comprising Airbus A330-200, Airbus 310-300s, Airbus 300-600Rs, Boeing 777-200s and Boeing 777-300s to 52 cities (including Dubai) in 38 countries in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, the CIS, the Indian Ocean and Australia.
Emirates will be the launch customer for Airbus Industrie's super-jumbo Airbus A3XX with a commitment to buy five passenger versions and two freighters with five options. Delivery is from 2006 to 2008.
The aircraft has on order nine more A330-200s to be delivered up to the year 2003, bringing the total in the fleet to 21. These aircraft are replacing the A 310-300s and A300-600Rs.
More Boeing 777-300s are on order which will bring the fleet total to 10 by the year 2002. Between 2002 and 2003, six firm order Airbus A340-500s are to be delivered. This is the world's longest range aircraft, which will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines.
Emirates has made a name as an innovative carrier. Its achievements include:
Emirates has won more than 190 international awards for its passenger and cargo services. These include Airline of the Year 2000, 1999, 1998 and 1994; and Cargo Airline of the Year 1994/5, 1999 and 2000 plus Best Airline to the Middle East for 12 years running, by the UK publication Air Cargo News.
Emirates' Destination and Leisure Management Division comprises Emirates Holidays, the wholesale tour operator; Arabian Adventures, the Destination Management Company and Al Maha Desert Resort, the region's first luxurious desert resort.
The airline's award-winning air freight division utilises available hold space in the airline's passenger fleet, and also operates a Boeing 747 freighter leased from Atlas Air on routes including Dubai-Amsterdam (making Amsterdam a cargo-only destination).
In May 1999, Emirates SkyCargo launched a state-of-the-art automation system branded Sky Chain to enable the airline to manage a much wider range of processes in the cargo supply chain.
"Emirates objectives are to offer the best service on every route it operates, to provide the international links between Dubai and the world and to contribute towards Dubai's development as the Middle East's commercial centre and aviation hub," says an airline spokesman.
"There has been neither oil money nor government guarantees for Emirates, and the Dubai Government's open skies policy has remained intact. Behind Emirates' success lies strategic planning, pinpointing routes on which new business can be generated and flexibility that allows the carrier to seize new opportunities whenever these arise," he says.
