The sky’s clearly not the limit for the world’s most profitable airline. The Dubai-based aviation powerhouse has once again flexed its wings, posting a jaw-dropping AED 12.2 billion (USD 3.3 billion) profit before tax for the first half of 2025-26, a record-breaking fourth consecutive year of soaring half-year results.
The Emirates Group’s total revenue climbed 4% to AED 75.4 billion (USD 20.6 billion), fuelled by unshakable demand for air travel, glittering premium cabins, and a global appetite for Dubai’s home-grown success story.
After tax, the Group’s profit landed at AED 10.6 billion (USD 2.9 billion), up 13% YoY, while its EBITDA hit AED 21.1 billion (USD 5.7 billion), proving once again that Emirates is totally cruising in style.
And the cash? A cool AED 56 billion (USD 15.2 billion) in the bank, the strongest in the airline’s history. Not bad for a company still splashing out billions on shiny new aircraft, upgrades, and dividends.
Still the world’s most profitable Airline
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, couldn’t be prouder:
“The Group has once again delivered an outstanding performance, surpassing our half-year results of last year to achieve a new record profit for H1 2025-26. I’m delighted to note that Emirates maintains its position as the world’s most profitable airline for this half-year reporting period.”
He added that this success is “driven by unflagging demand and growing customer preference” with Emirates and dnata pouring billions into innovation, service excellence, and looking after the people who make it all happen.
“These are core to our DNA. The Group’s strong profitability enables us to continue making these investments, and to scale up our proven business models in concert with Dubai’s growth as a global city of choice for talent, for businesses, and for tourists.”
Flying through global headwinds
While the rest of the world frets about economic jitters and geopolitical turbulence, Emirates remains unfazed.
“Global demand for air transport and travel services has been buoyant. We expect this demand resilience to continue for the rest of 2025–26 and look forward to increasing our capacity to grow revenues as new A350 aircraft join the Emirates fleet, and new facilities come online at dnata.” – HH Sheikh Ahmed.
The Group’s workforce grew by 3% to almost 125,000 employees, and recruitment drives are in full swing to keep pace with its global growth trajectory.
Expanding, upgrading and outperforming
Emirates didn’t just fly, it soared. Profit before tax hit a record AED 11.4 billion (USD 3.1 billion), up 17%, while revenue climbed 6% to AED 65.6 billion (USD 17.9 billion).
Customer love for Emirates’ premium cabins and luxury experiences continues to fuel the numbers, with 27.8 million passengers carried between April and September, up 4% YoY.
The airline expanded its global network to 153 airports across 81 countries, launching new services to Danang, Siem Reap, Shenzhen and Hangzhou. It also added extra flights to favourites like Rome, Johannesburg, Riyadh, Taipei and Muscat, proving there’s no such thing as too much Emirates.
Meanwhile, Premium Economy has become the golden ticket, now available on flights to 61 cities, and the carrier’s USD 5 billion retrofit programme continues to roll out refreshed A380s and 777s with the newest cabin designs.
On the ground, Emirates unveiled its plush ‘Emirates First’ check-in experience at Dubai Airport and launched chic new travel stores in Accra, Bangkok, Geneva, Jakarta, Mauritius, Osaka, Seoul and Singapore.
And for the brand buffs, Emirates’ sponsorship portfolio now reads like a who’s who of world sport, from FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid Basketball to European Professional Club Rugby and the ATP Tour.
Sustainability hasn’t taken a back seat either. Emirates uplifted Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) across 37 airports and joined the Aviation Circularity Consortium, driving innovation towards greener skies.
dnata is quietly crushing it on the ground
While Emirates took the headlines, dnata was busy making its own magic, achieving a record AED 11.7 billion (USD 3.2 billion) in half-year revenue, up 13%, and a profit before tax of AED 843 million (USD 230 million), up 17%.
The aviation services giant ramped up operations across cargo, ground handling, catering and travel, winning major new contracts and expanding into new markets.
Highlights include a USD 110 million investment in 800 new eco-friendly ground support units, the launch of its ‘marhaba’ hospitality brand in the UK, and a cheeky foray into sports, becoming a Founding Partner of Dubai Basketball.
dnata also took a minority stake in WonderMiles, an advanced NDC-enabled booking platform, to strengthen its travel tech game.
Its airport operations, dnata’s biggest revenue driver, soared 15% to AED 5.5 billion (USD 1.5 billion), handling nearly 451,000 aircraft turns and 1.59 million tonnes of cargo. Catering and retail brought in AED 4.1 billion (USD 1.1 billion), while the travel division racked up AED 2 billion (USD 538 million) in revenue.
With A350s on the horizon, Premium Economy booming, and dnata expanding its empire on the ground, 2025-26 really is shaping up to be another impressive record-breaking flight path for Dubai’s golden airline.
