DUBAI, UAE, 5 January 2026: Emirates moved 55.6 million customers, circled Earth 29,290 times on nearly 180,580 flights, and placed orders for 73 new aircraft during 2025.
Here are the highlights that defined 2025 for the world’s largest international airline:
Emirates A350 takes off
The first Emirates A350 entered commercial service in early January 2025 with its maiden journey to Edinburgh. The airline’s A350 network has expanded rapidly since then, and now 16 Emirates A350s fly to 18 cities, connecting travellers in comfort across Europe, West Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and, soon, the Americas, when it debuts in Montreal in February 2026.
Looking East
2025 saw Emirates double down on its footprint in Asia with the launch of two new Chinese mainland destinations – Shenzhen and Hangzhou – served by non-stop daily flights, as well as services to Danang in Vietnam, and Siem Reap, Cambodia via Bangkok. The airline has been working to serve growing travel and trade demand across East Asia and China as business activity grows across the region.
More Premium Economy
Throughout 2025, Emirates has been adding more of its next-generation Airbus A350, retrofitted Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. They all feature the award-winning Emirates Premium Economy cabin across its network. Today, close to 70 cities are served by more than 100 aircraft offering the latest Emirates cabin interiors, constituting roughly 40% of the airline’s passenger fleet.
Lightning speed with Starlink
Emirates announced the rollout of Starlink Wi-Fi across 232 aircraft at the Dubai Airshow in November. Starting with its Boeing 777s, the programme will quickly expand to make Emirates the world’s first airline with Starlink-equipped A380s in early 2026.
Uniting fans through sport
Emirates announced nine major sports deals and renewals in 2025, positioning it as one of the world’s most visible sports sponsors through the 2030s. Its seven-year headline partnership with FC Bayern Munich made Emirates the Platinum Partner of the German football powerhouse and marked the airline’s high-profile return to the Bundesliga.
Emirates signed a historic contract extension with World Rugby through 2035, the longest commitment in the airline’s 40-year sponsorship history and the first-ever Platinum Partnership in rugby. It also inked a brand-new partnership with the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), backing the continent’s most prestigious club rugby competitions to connect the airline with over 70 million rugby fans worldwide.
Other notable deals included: becoming the Official Main Sponsor of Real Madrid Basketball; renewing its 18-year AC Milan partnership; extending its Olympique Lyonnais and ATP Tour partnerships through to 2030; and UAE Team Emirates XRG. These deals solidified Emirates’ sports portfolio spanning football’s elite clubs, international rugby, professional basketball, Grand Slam tennis and tournaments, professional cycling, and more.
Door-to-door Courier Express
Emirates launched Emirates Courier Express, setting new benchmarks in cross-border delivery by flying packages directly on its passenger fleet instead of routing through multiple hubs. Shortly after launch, Emirates Courier Express added Australia and Germany to its network, now serving 10 international markets, with further expansion planned in 2026. To date, the airline has handled over 50,000 packages and achieved an average delivery time of just three days across its lane pairs.
Emirates Skywards turns 25
Emirates Skywards marked its Silver Jubilee in 2025, complete with a special A380 livery and month-long activations for its members. The award-winning programme today boasts 37 million members across 190 countries. In the last 20 years, Skywards has distributed nearly 400 billion Miles through 100+ partners across 1,400 flight destinations and 30,000 hotels, with members now redeeming over 800 flight rewards daily and one upgrade every minute. This milestone underscores the programme’s place as one of the commercial aviation industry’s most valuable loyalty platforms, adding 78,000 new members weekly.
Fly better
Over the last 12 months, Emirates elevated its premium and family travel experience with a suite of enhancements in the air and on the ground. In July, the airline opened Emirates First, an exclusive private check-in area at Terminal 3, Dubai International, featuring plush seating and modern ambience, complete with quick check-in while seated, for a sleek, smooth experience for First Class customers and Skywards Platinum members.
The airline also unveiled refined First-Class service details on board, including keepsake menus exploring wine heritage and culinary inspiration; Robert Welch-designed caviar presentation bowls for its unlimited caviar service, complemented by gloved service from cabin crew; and rustic slate cheeseboards with wooden accompaniments.
Investing in the highest levels of luxury hospitality, Emirates opened its Centre of Hospitality Excellence in Dubai to train nearly 25,000 cabin crew in Michelin-star-standard hospitality, featuring an immersive fine dining restaurant, presentation kitchens, and tech-enabled classrooms.
For more information on Emirates, visit: www.emirates.com.
(Source: Your Stories — Emirates)
