Emirates
United Arab EmiratesFull-service carrierSince 1985
Emirates is the Dubai-based full-service international airline of the United Arab Emirates, operating from a single hub at Dubai International Airport. It served 152 cities in 80 countries in its 2025-26 financial year and had 277 aircraft at 31 March 2026. Emirates belongs to no global alliance and runs the Emirates Skywards loyalty programme.
Direct connection available on ReservationHub- Founded
- 1985
- First flight
- 1985-10-25
- Headquarters
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Country
- United Arab Emirates
- Main hubs
- Dubai International Airport (DXB)
- Airline type
- Full-service carrier
- Alliance
- None
- Loyalty
- Emirates Skywards
- Parent
- The Emirates Group
- Ownership
- Owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), a Government of Dubai investment company.
- Callsign
- EMIRATES
- Website
- emirates.com
How travel agents book Emirates
GDS distribution
Emirates content is distributed through Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. Sabre signed a multi-year worldwide agreement in October 2021, and a January 2022 Amadeus agreement gave agencies on the Amadeus Travel Platform surcharge-free access to Emirates content from 1 February 2022.
NDC
Emirates launched Emirates Gateway, built on IATA NDC standards, in October 2020. Its NDC offers went live on Travelport+ in June 2024 (first in Australia, Indonesia, the UAE and the UK), Sabre announced Emirates NDC content in Sabre Red 360 and GetThere in December 2024, and the 2022 Amadeus deal provided for NDC integration into the Amadeus Travel Platform.
Direct channels
Emirates Gateway, offered through the Emirates Partners Portal, has three options: the web-based Emirates Booking Portal (12 languages, booking to post-ticketing service), Emirates Gateway Direct for partners building on the Emirates NDC APIs, and Emirates Gateway Sync through IATA-registered, Emirates-certified technology partners.
Notes for travel agents
Emirates presents Gateway as an alternative to GDS connectivity rather than a replacement, so agencies can compare GDS NDC, GDS traditional content and direct Gateway access for each market. Rollouts of NDC in each GDS have been phased by country, so check availability for your point of sale.
On ReservationHub
Emirates is one of the direct airline connections listed on our integrations page, alongside GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport) and NDC content. Agencies get it in the SaaS platform; developers through the Travel API.
History of Emirates
Emirates began flying on 25 October 1985, when flight EK600 left Dubai International Airport for Karachi. The start-up was backed with an initial US$10 million and opened with two leased aircraft, a Boeing 727 and an Airbus A300.
The airline grew quickly through the late 1980s and 1990s. It took delivery of its first purchased aircraft, an Airbus A310, in 1987, started flying to London Heathrow in 1991 and received its first Boeing 777 in 1996. Tim Clark became president in 2003, the same year Emirates placed a 71-aircraft order at the Paris Air Show.
In 2000 Emirates became the first airline to sign up for the Airbus A380, and its first A380 arrived in 2008. A concourse built for the A380 opened at Dubai International in 2013. The Boeing 777 and A380 remain the core of the passenger fleet, with the Airbus A350 added more recently.
Emirates sits within The Emirates Group, alongside businesses such as dnata, Emirates Holidays and Emirates SkyCargo. In the 2025-26 financial year the group reported a record profit and the airline carried 53.2 million passengers.
Milestones
- 1985First flight, EK600, operates from Dubai to Karachi on 25 October.
- 1987First purchased aircraft, an Airbus A310, joins the fleet.
- 1996First Boeing 777 delivered.
- 2000Becomes the first airline to commit to the Airbus A380.
- 2008Takes delivery of its first A380.
- 2020Launches Emirates Gateway, an NDC-based connectivity suite for trade partners.
- 2022Amadeus agreement gives agencies surcharge-free access to Emirates content from 1 February.
- 2024Emirates NDC content goes live on Travelport+ and is announced on Sabre.
- 2025Orders 65 more Boeing 777-9s and eight more Airbus A350-900s at the Dubai Airshow.
Fleet
Aircraft types in service as of 2026
Emirates had 277 aircraft at 31 March 2026, with an average age of 10.8 years, according to its 2025-26 annual results. That total included 19 Airbus A350s in passenger service and 13 Boeing 777 freighters operated by Emirates SkyCargo.
The order book at the same date stood at 367 aircraft: 270 Boeing 777X, 54 A350s, 35 Boeing 787s and eight 777Fs, with deliveries scheduled through 2038.
Network and hubs
Emirates operates a hub-and-spoke network from Dubai International Airport (DXB), so most international itineraries connect through Dubai. In its 2025-26 financial year it served 152 cities in 80 countries across six continents, adding Da Nang, Hangzhou, Siem Reap and Shenzhen.
Its sister airline flydubai, owned by the Government of Dubai, runs a joint network with Emirates and is part of Emirates Skywards. flydubai reported that 2.5 million passengers connected across the combined network in 2025. See the flydubai profile for its own routes and channels.
Emirates: frequently asked questions
What are Emirates' IATA and ICAO codes?
Emirates uses the IATA airline code EK, which appears on tickets, timetables and booking screens. Its ICAO designator is UAE and its radio callsign is EMIRATES. The IATA code identifies the airline in reservations and ticketing, while the ICAO code is used in air traffic control and flight planning.
What is Emirates' hub airport?
Emirates operates from one hub, Dubai International Airport (DXB), in the United Arab Emirates. Its network is organised around connections in Dubai, which means most journeys between two non-UAE cities on Emirates involve a change of aircraft at DXB. In 2025-26 the network covered 152 cities in 80 countries.
Is Emirates part of an airline alliance?
No. Emirates is not a member of Star Alliance, oneworld or SkyTeam. It works with partner airlines through bilateral codeshare and interline agreements instead, and it shares a joint network and the Emirates Skywards loyalty programme with flydubai, its Dubai-based sister airline.
Does Emirates use NDC?
Yes. Emirates Gateway, launched in October 2020, is built on IATA NDC standards, and Emirates NDC offers are also distributed through GDSs. NDC content went live on Travelport+ in June 2024, Sabre announced it in December 2024, and Emirates agreed in 2022 to integrate its NDC content into the Amadeus Travel Platform.
How do travel agents book Emirates?
Agencies can book Emirates through Amadeus, Sabre or Travelport, using either traditional GDS content or NDC offers where enabled for their market. Emirates also offers Emirates Gateway through its Partners Portal: a web booking portal, a direct NDC API connection, or access via an Emirates-certified technology partner.
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Book a meetingSources
- Emirates — Emirates Group achieves record profit in 2025-26 (May 2026)
- Emirates — Launch of new NDC-powered Emirates Gateway for trade partners (October 2020)
- Emirates — New distribution agreement with Amadeus (January 2022)
- Emirates — Emirates and Sabre reach new distribution agreement (October 2021)
- Travelport — NDC content and servicing for Emirates on Travelport+ (June 2024)
- Travolution — Sabre is now offering Emirates NDC content (December 2024)
- Emirates — Emirates Skywards
- The National — Emirates through the years
- Gulf News — 40 years of UAE: the launch of Emirates airline
- AGBI — Owner of Emirates airline reports climb in profit (May 2025)
- The Emirates Group — About us
- IATA — Airline and location code search
- FAA — JO 7340.2N Contractions (ICAO three-letter designators and telephony)