Dubai (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Dubai's Emirates Airlines on Wednesday posted a record 62.1 per cent increase in its annual profits to US$ 1.37 billion in the financial year 2007-08.
Launched in 1985, state-owned Emirates now has a young fleet of 114 planes, with an average age of 67 months per aircraft.
The number of passengers carried by Emirates increased to 21.2 million or 3.7 million passengers more than the previous year.
It has also placed firm orders for 182 aircraft, including 58 Airbus A380 superjumbos.
“We saw another wonderful year of record results despite difficult circumstances as the price of fuel increased to unprecedented levels,” the carrier's Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Ahmad bin Saeed al-Maktoum said.
