Hong Kong was added in Emirates added Paris, Rome, Zurich, and Jakarta in the summer of About the same time as it was extending its reach into Asia, Emirates was courting long-haul business travelers. Calling itself 'the finest in the sky,' the airline toned down its Arabic identity for a more 'corporate' feel, positioning itself as a competitor to global carriers such as British Airways and Singapore Airlines.
Emirates was one of the world's fastest growing airlines. It carried 68, tons of cargo and 1. The Gulf War, ironically, had benefited Emirates by keeping other airlines out of the area. Emirates was the only airline to continue flying in the last ten days of the war, although it had to cover increased insurance premiums and higher fuel costs flying around the war zone added an extra ten hours to flights.
A partnership agreement with US Airlines entered in the fall of allowed Emirates to offer around-the-world service. It had previously inked cooperation agreements with Cyprus Airways. By , 60 international airlines were flying to Dubai.
Emirates was connecting 32 destinations with its 15 aircraft. It was the sixth largest of eight Middle East carriers. Despite its small size, the airline had accumulated numerous awards by lavishing attention and money on passenger and cargo service. It was the first airline to install personal video systems in all seats, for example.
Flight attendants celebrated special occasions with in-flight cakes and Polaroid cameras. Passengers flying first class were served six-course meals on Royal Doulton china.
The young airline had 4, employees and carried two million passengers a year between 34 destinations with a fleet of 18 Airbus aircraft. They began to arrive in the spring of One of the planes was used on a new service to Australia Melbourne via Singapore. Emirates placed a large order with Airbus later in the year. A total of 92 air carriers were serving Dubai in the mids. Emirates was able to flourish, however, in spite of restricted markets abroad and intense competition at home.
The Dubai government had been promoting the country as an escape from European winters with great success, much to the benefit of Emirates. Dubai's summertime weather was grueling, with Fahrenheit temperatures and relative humidity readings in the s.
Abroad, its route network was expanding in the Pacific and Africa. In , Emirates was flying a dedicated freighter to Amsterdam, a point not on its network of passenger routes, in cooperation with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
It carried about three million passengers during the year. The growing cargo business accounted for 16 percent of the airline's revenues.
It was built in the shape of an airplane. The airline was then able to provide advanced simulator training for its crew members--who represented 50 different nationalities--and flight and maintenance personnel from around the world. In the fall of , a new air-conditioned maintenance center allowed the group which consisted of Emirates Airlines and DNATA to solicit third-party contracts in that capacity as well.
In the early s the first oil company teams conducted geological surveys in the UAE. Almost thirty short years later, in , the first cargo of crude oil was exported from Abu Dhabi. Under Sheikh Zayed, the steady oil revenues resulted in an infrastructure overhaul with the construction of schools, housing, hospitals and roads throughout Abu Dhabi.
And, in as the Emirate of Dubai began exporting oil, Sheikh Rashid focused his attention on developing programs aimed at improving the quality of life of his people with the new oil revenues.
In , with the British announcement of its withdrawal from the Arabian Gulf, Sheikh Zayed stepped into action to quickly establish closer ties among the Emirates. Together with Sheikh Rashid, Sheikh Zayed called for a federation that would include not only the seven Emirates that together made up the Trucial States, but also Qatar and Bahrain.
Since the formation of the union, the seven Emirates have forged a distinct national identity. Emirates buys 30 Boeing aircraft worth USD 8. Over volunteer passengers from nationalities take off on Emirates flight EK, breaking the Guinness World Record for the most nationalities on an aircraft. Accessibility information Skip to the main content.
ABOUT US Emirates then and now Browse through snapshots of the important milestones on our journey to becoming the fastest growing airline in the world.
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