Emirates is heading into the winter travel season with booking momentum supported by more than 8.6 million passengers carried in July and August, while it continues to expand its fleet, cabin product and network. The Dubai airline is preparing for a schedule change in late October, with demand tracking ahead of last year in several markets and additional A350 and Premium Economy capacity rolling out across its long-haul operation.
The carrier is operating at around 93% of its pre-disruption capacity and has rebuilt its network to about 98% of pre-disruption levels. Since January, it has taken delivery of 18 aircraft, including 11 Airbus A350s and seven Boeing 777 freighters, with six more A350s due before year-end. Its retrofit programme has now covered 104 aircraft, and 137 aircraft offer Premium Economy, with the total targeted to reach 155 by December.
Network changes include the launch of Helsinki on 1 October with A350 service, along with extra frequencies to Accra, Tokyo Narita, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Delhi will move to an A380 on a daily service, while demand is reported ahead of last year in India, South Africa, Brazil, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ghana, Colombia and Pakistan.