Dubai-based air carrier Emirates has shattered yet another earnings record, as it reports its highest-ever half-year profit for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
For that period, the airline posted a pre-tax profit of $3.1 billion USD, which is 17% higher than in 2024.
The earnings milestone marks the fourth year in a row that Emirates has posted a record profit at the half-year mark. The airline attributed its growing profit margin in part to “strong and sustained” travel demand across all of the regions where it flies.
“Global demand for air transport and travel services has been buoyant, despite geo-political events and economic concerns in some markets,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, CEO and chairman of Emirates Group. “We expect this demand resilience to continue for the rest of 2025-26.”
Emirates also noted that “customer preference for the airline’s premium cabins” was another significant factor that boosted earnings. Passengers around the globe have been clamoring for premium seats and experiences from airlines, and the trend has kept many carriers afloat through economic uncertainty in the U.S. while shoring up bottom lines worldwide.
During this earnings period, Emirates improved and expanded its premium offerings, which likely helped it set a new profit record. The Gulf carrier rolled out 23 new widebody aircraft with fully refreshed interiors as part of its $5 billion aircraft retrofitting program.
The carrier also unveiled a new “Emirates First” ground experience in Dubai, which gives first class customers and top-tier loyalty members a luxe check-in experience at the airline’s home airport.
Additionally, Emirates received five new Airbus A350 planes that added even more business class and premium economy seats to its inventory. As of September 2025, the airline’s popular premium economy cabin is available in a whopping 61 markets from Dubai.
Sheikh Ahmed said that the increased capacity from new A350 aircraft will continue to help grow the airline’s revenues.
The airline has “invested billions to continually enhance our products and services, to bring new products to market, to improve our operations through innovation and technology, and to look after our employees who ensure our customers’ safety and satisfaction,” said Sheikh Ahmed. “These are core to our DNA.”
In May, the carrier became the most profitable airline in the world, earning a profit of $5.8 billion for the fiscal year that ended in March 2025.
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