Emirates airlines recently celebrated its ten-year presence at Brussels Airport. In the last decade the company has flown some 2.41 million passengers to and from Dubai aboard some 10,000 flights. Emirates reflected on its success on Monday during the launch of a new interior cabin design.
The first Emirates passenger flight between Brussels Airport and Dubai took off on 5 September 2014. The daily route quickly gained popularity, leading to the introduction of a second daily flight in October 2017.
Although operations were suspended during the Covid crisis, Emirates was quick to resume services, well before many other major airlines. Today it benefits from an occupancy rate of 90% compared to pre-Covid levels.
Emirates’ network now spans 144 destinations across 76 countries.
Financial results reflect this success, according to Jean-Pierre Martin, the Director of Emirates Belgium. For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Emirates Group reported a revenue of $37.4 billion, up 15%, and a profit of $5.1 billion, up 71%. The group’s cash reserves stand at a record $12.8 billion.
Capitalising on its continued financial growth, the airline launched a $3 billion programme two years ago to renovate the interiors of its aircraft. Brussels is now the second city, after Geneva, to welcome the newly revamped Boeing 777-300, which was officially unveiled on Monday at Zaventem Airport.
The new interior design features a “Premium Economy” class with leather seats, more legroom, and footrests. In “Business Class,” seating arrangements have been updated to two seats in the central aisle and one at each window, compared to the previous 2-3-2 layout.
In addition to passenger flights, Emirates has also been operating 14 weekly cargo-only flights from Brussels for over ten years. These flights have transported a total of approximately 230,300 tonnes of cargo, including chocolate, perishable goods, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, and live animals such as horses.
