History of Emirates (airline)

Emirates (Arabic: طَيَران الإمارات‎‎) is an airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is wholly owned by the government of Dubai's Investment Corporation of Dubai. It is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 3,600 flights per week from its hub at Dubai International Airport, to more than 154 cities in 81 countries across six continents. Cargo activities are undertaken by Emirates SkyCargo.

Emirates is the world's fourth largest airline by scheduled revenue passenger-kilometers flown, the fourth-largest in terms of international passengers carried, and the second-largest in terms of freight tonne kilometers flown. Emirates launched the longest non-stop commercial flight from Dubai to Auckland on 1 March 2016.

During the mid-1980s, Gulf Air began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result, Emirates was conceived in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's royal family, with Pakistan International Airlines providing two of the airline's first aircraft on wet-lease. With $10 million in start-up capital it was required to operate independently of government subsidy. Pakistan International Airlines provided training facilities to Emirates' cabin crew in its academy. The airline was headed by Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the airline's present chairman. In the years following its founding, the airline expanded both its fleet and its destinations. In October 2008, Emirates moved all operations at Dubai International Airport to Terminal 3.

Emirates operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft and is one of the few airlines to operate an all-wide-body aircraft fleet. As of September 2016, Emirates is the largest Airbus A380 operator with 83 planes in service and a further 59 in orders. Since their induction, Airbus A380 planes have become an integral part of Emirates fleet, especially on long-haul heavily trafficked routes. Emirates also has orders for 150 Boeing 777X and 32 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and is the world's largest Boeing 777 operator.