Emirates says it is the world’s most profitable airline, having reported last week that it earned annual profits of $5.2 billion. The Dubai-based carrier served 53.7 million passengers out of its hub of Dubai International Airport, compared to 51.9 million passengers in the fiscal year prior.

The overall Emirates Group, owned by Dubai’s sovereign wealth fund known as the Investment Corporation of Dubai, saw annual profits of $5.6 billion, compared to $5.1 billion the year before.

About 121,000 workers at the overall Emirates Group separately received word they’d receive a bonus worth 22 weeks of their annual salary. In 2024, they received a 20-week bonus.

“Our excellent financial standing enables us to continue building on and scaling up from our successful business models,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktom, Emirates’ chairman and chief executive. “While some markets are jittery about trade and travel restrictions, volatility is not new in our industry,” he said. “We simply adapt and navigate around these challenges.”

Emirates’ financial year runs from April 1 to March 31, including revenue from both 2024 and 2025. The carrier had revenues of $34.9 billion, compared to $33 billion the year prior, which put it behind other private carriers, like Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines Inc., which led the industry with revenue of $61.6 billion last year.

However, Emirates’ $5.2 billion in profit put it to the front of the pack.

The carrier reported to have 260 aircraft and that it’s flying to 148 locations around the world serving as a crucial link in East-West global travel.

The Emirates’ results track with those for its base, Dubai International Airport. The world’s busiest airport for international travellers had a record 92.3 million passengers pass through its terminals in 2024.

The airport now plans to move to the city-state’s second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches in the next decade in a project worth nearly $35 billion.

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