Emirates has bounced back into the black after its losses during the pandemic, the airline said yesterday, announcing a $1.1bn profit and a half-year record for the group.
Revenues at the Middle East’s biggest carrier surged 131% to 50.1bn dirhams ($13.7bn) in the first half of the financial year starting in April, compared to a year earlier.
Emirates Group, which includes the airline and air services provider dnata, clocked a record $1.2bn half-year profit which “reflects strong turnaround and recovery” after a $1.6bn loss last year.
“Across the group, our operations recovery accelerated as more countries eased and removed travel restrictions,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline and group, was quoted as saying.
“For the coming months, we remain focused on restoring our operations to pre-pandemic levels and recruiting the right skills for our current and future requirements,” he added.
Emirates airline posted a $5.5bn loss for the 2020-2021 financial year, its first in more than three decades, after grounding its fleet and making heavy lay-offs during the coronavirus pandemic.
After the Dubai-based carrier pared losses to $1.1bn in 2021-2022, Sheikh Ahmed said he was expecting full-year group profits for the current financial year.
But “the horizon is not without headwinds”, he warned.
“We are keeping a close watch on inflationary costs and other macro-challenges such as the strong US dollar and the fiscal policies of major markets,” Sheikh Ahmed said.
An Emirates aircraft takes off from Dubai International Airport. The airline has bounced back into the black after its losses during the pandemic, announcing a $1.1bn profit and a half-year record for the group.
