Emirates Airlines will transport 55.6 million passengers in 2025

Emirates Airlines has established its presence during the year 2025 as the largest international air carrier in the world, after transporting 55.6 million passengers through approximately 180,580 flights, during which it flew distances equivalent to circumnavigating the globe more than 29,000 times, and it also concluded orders to purchase 73 new aircraft.

A press release issued today stated that what distinguished the year 2025, during which the carrier celebrated, specifically last October, the 40th anniversary of the launch of its operations, was the clear drawing of the features of the future of travel with lasting distinction.

The carrier identified 10 stations that shaped the year 2025 for it. The beginning of January witnessed the operation of the first Airbus A350 aircraft within the Emirates fleet, as the network of this model quickly expanded to include 18 cities, currently served by 16 aircraft.

During 2025, Emirates Airlines will continue its expansion in the Asian continent, launching daily direct flights to the cities of Shenzhen and Hangzhou on the Chinese mainland, in addition to operating flights to Da Nang in Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia via Bangkok.

Emirates Airlines continued to introduce new Airbus A350 and updated Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, all equipped with the award-winning premium economy class cabin, serving nearly 70 cities on board more than 100 aircraft, constituting about 40% of the Emirates fleet designated for transporting passengers.

During the Dubai Air Show in November, Emirates Airlines announced the deployment of Starlink satellite Internet service on board 232 aircraft, and implementation will begin on Boeing 777 aircraft, with Emirates becoming the first carrier in the world to operate Airbus A380 aircraft equipped with this technology in early 2026.

By the end of next year, more than 123 aircraft will provide free high-speed connectivity that allows streaming, entertainment, work and browsing in all classes of travel.

During the year 2025, Emirates Airlines announced nine major sports deals and partnerships, which included signing new agreements and renewing existing ones, including a seven-year agreement with the German club Bayern Munich, under which Emirates Airlines became a platinum partner for one of the most prominent football clubs in the world, an agreement to extend its partnership with the International Rugby Federation until 2035, and a completely new partnership with the European Union of Professional Rugby Clubs, to support the most prominent club rugby tournaments on the European continent, which It allows Emirates to connect with more than 70 million rugby fans around the world.

Other agreements included sponsorship of Real Madrid Basketball Club, renewing its 18-year partnership with the Italian club AC Milan, in addition to extending sponsorship agreements with the French club Olympique Lyonnais and the Association of Tennis Professionals until 2030, in addition to the Emirates Cycling Team (XRG).

Emirates Airlines launched the “Emirates Express Cargo Services” service, which quickly expanded to include 10 international markets, with plans for further expansion in 2026, achieving an average delivery time of no more than three days.

Emirates Skywards celebrated its silver jubilee in 2025, and today the award-winning program includes 37 million members in 190 countries around the world.

Over the past 20 years, Skywards has distributed nearly 400 billion reward miles through more than 100 partners, including 1,400 airline destinations and 30,000 hotels, while members currently redeem more than 800 flight rewards daily, in addition to implementing one upgrade every minute. The program attracts about 78,000 new members weekly.

In 2025, Emirates Aircrafted KIDS initiative continued to distribute more than 3,700 hand-made backpacks to disadvantaged children in eight countries in Africa, West Asia and the Middle East, in cooperation with more than 12 non-governmental organizations that support education.

The initiative included the distribution of more than 1,300 bags in three African countries: Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia, and 700 bags in three Asian countries, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and more than 1,600 bags in Egypt and Jordan, where each bag contained basic school supplies and locally sourced books. Emirates intends to expand the scope of this initiative to include additional countries during the year 2026.

Emirates Airlines has consolidated its leadership position in the field of accessible travel, after it became the first air carrier in the world to obtain official accreditation as a “certified air carrier for people with autism,” where more than 30,000 service crew members and ground staff were trained to support travelers with autism.

The carrier also launched the Accessible and Comprehensive Travel Center on its website, which provides easy-to-use navigation tools, digital sensory guides, and support services organized according to the type of disability or stage of the trip.

Emirates Airlines has expanded its pre-travel experience programs in 17 cities around the world, allowing children with autism to simulate the airport experience before actual travel, in addition to introducing new sensory products and calming toys on board aircraft to support neurodiverse travelers.

The service improvements that were implemented during the year 2025 included adopting a special mattress with a safety-approved cover in business class, to reduce the need for movement during the flight for passengers with severe motor disabilities, in addition to providing more than 600 films translated into text language, and 200 films with audio description on the inflight entertainment system, in support of passengers with visual and hearing disabilities.

Emirates Airline concluded the year 2025 by winning 25 prestigious awards, including the title of “Best Airline in the World” for the eighth year in a row at the Ultra Awards in the travel sector, and “Best International Airline” and “Best First Class on an International Airline” at the Forbes Travel Guide 2025 Awards, “Best Long-haul Airline” from the Telegraph, and “Best Airline in the World” for the twelfth year in a row at the Business Awards. Traveler Middle East.