After United Arab Minister of Defence Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and a member of Dubai’s royal family asked then managing Director of dnata Sir Maurice Flanagan to start an airline. The request was heard, and a comprehensive business plan was quickly drawn up, and by December of 1984, Emirates was formally established.
Since such humble beginnings, this airline has grown to become one of the most significant Gulf carriers with quite the reckoning global force, with a fleet and network to match. While countless milestones shaped Emirates into becoming the airline it is today, here are the top five and the significance behind them.
1. First owned aircraft
The aircraft was registered A6-EKA
Although Emirates commenced its first flight from Dubai International Airport on October 25th of the following year, the airline used a Boeing 737 and an Airbus A300 B4 that was wet-leased from Pakistan International Airlines to destinations like Karachi and Mumbai. Fortunately, the airline did not wait too long before owning its own aircraft as on July 3rd, 1987, Emirates took delivery of its first-owned Airbus A310-304.
The arrival of A6-EKA was quickly followed by the swift delivery of Emirates’ second-owned aircraft, yet another Airbus A310-304 – registered A6-EKB, in July 1987. Albeit these aircraft are evidently no longer in the airline’s fleet, they were well utilized till Emirates retired them in May 1997 and November 2000, respectively.
2. Nearly 90 destinations
Quickly reaching 88 destinations in 2009
Within the first five years of operations, Emirates grew its global network to include 14 destinations, such as from Dubai to Mumbai, Delhi in 1986, to Amman, Colombo, Cairo, and Dhaka the following year; then came the inclusion of Male Frankfurt, and Istanbul in 1987, Damascus the following year, and Jeddah and Kuwait were added in 1989.
During the 1990s, the airline added 28 more routes, and by the turn of the millennium, Emirates had grown its international network to 42 destinations. Then, within the decade from 2000 to 2009, the airline expanded further by adding 46 more routes, including Sydney and Milan in 2000, Hyderabad the following year, Seychelles, Beijing, and Hamburg in 2005, Cape Town and Los Angeles in 2008, and Durban in 2009.
The airline has further expanded these services in recent years.
Emirates announces special repatriation flights to Bengaluru, Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai & Thiruvananthapuram in India between 12 & 26 July to assist stranded Indians get home & enable UAE residents currently in India to return to UAE. https://t.co/B9q3ZvnmXJ #FlyEmiratesFlyBetter pic.twitter.com/re2eQjgZm6
— Emirates (@emirates) July 11, 2020
3. First Boeing order
Becoming a profitable customer for the US planemaker
Although the airline began its fleet management journey with Airbus initially, it was not too long before Emirates sought to order aircraft from Boeing. Following the end of the Gulf War, the airline placed its first order for three Boeing 777-200s and four 777-200ERs, with options for an additional seven in 1988. Before the turn of the millennium, a further two more Boeing 777-200ERs were ordered.
But come the beginning of the 2000s, Emirates became a more lucrative customer for Boeing as the airline evidently loved the Boeing 777s – having signed billion-dollar deals for different variants at numerous airshows, like the Dubai Airshow in 2005, 2007, 2011, and the Farnborough Air Show in 2011, to name some.
That first Boeing order has undoubtedly grown into making the airline the largest Boeing 777 operator worldwide, with over 140 in the current fleet.
4. First Airbus A380 order
Also becoming the world’s largest A380 operator
While Emirates achieved several milestones in being the first airline to do or order something, perhaps one of the most iconic was when the carrier was first to place an order for the Airbus A380 when the project was first introduced in 2000.
- The carrier initially signed up for five units.
- It had options for an additional five.
- Emirates even placed an order for two of the then-proposed freighter variant.
A year later, this initial Airbus A380 order was further expanded to include an additional 15 and options for another five. Then, at the Paris Air Show in 2003, the Gulf giant signed quite the headline deal for many aircraft types – not forgetting 21 of the Airbus superjumbos. Additionally, in 2010, an $11.5 billion agreement was signed for another 32 Airbus A380s.
Similar to the first Boeing order, the airline’s first superjumbo order has ensured it became the world’s largest operator, even making it seem profitable during the pandemic.
5. Launching first-class private suites
The game changer that re-defined first-class worldwide
First-class cabins may not be a popular product across airlines these days with ramped-up business class and the inclusion of premium economy class cabins. Still, back when it was, Emirates certainly re-defined the luxurious ways of travelling when it unveiled the world’s first fully enclosed private suites in 2017, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors and sleek design features inspired by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Besides giving the first-class product an entirely different meaning that certainly matches the price tag, the private suite upgrade further boosted the full-service luxurious carrier reputation for Emirates.
As the airline set the motion in gear with this dubbed game changer, other full-service carriers soon tried to follow suit. However, most passengers today would agree that no other airline is able to beat the promised exclusive experience when flying first class with
