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position on 30 September 2013 was at AED 18.2 billion (US$ 4.9 billion), compared to AED 27.0 billion (US$ 7.3 billion) as at 31 March 2013. This is after a AED 1.8 billion bond repayment which matured in July 2013, a AED 367 million first instalment payment on a USD 1 billion Sukuk, and a AED 7 billion injection back into the business to fund new aircraft, engines, spares and other projects across the Group.
Key to success
“The global business environment continues to be challenging. We have stayed agile even as we grow, and this ability to adapt and act quickly has been key to our success. Our investments in the infrastructure of both Emirates and dnata continue to pay off and while we keep a close watch on managing our immediate business targets, we never lose sight of our long-term goals, and that is why we continue to invest to build the business,” said Emirates Airline and Group Chairman and Chief Executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
In the past six months, the Group continued to invest in and expand its employee base, increasing its overall staff count by 11.7% to over 75,800 compared with 31 March 2013. During the first six months of the fiscal year Emirates received 10 wide-body aircraft – six A380s, three 777s and one 777 freighter, with 15 more new aircraft scheduled to be delivered before the end of the financial year (31 March 2014). Emirates also invested in its network by launching services to two new destinations – Haneda and Stockholm, bringing the total count of new routes launched in the past 12 months to seven including Adelaide, Lyon, Phuket, Warsaw and Algiers.
Despite the fundamental challenges of high fuel prices, a still-recovering global economy, and a strong performance of the US dollar against other major currencies impacting revenues, Emirates continues to make a profit. In the first half of the 2013-14 fiscal year, Emirates net profit is AED 1.7 billion (US$ 475 million), up 2% from the same period last year.
“Emirates’ half-year scorecard shows a steady demand for our products and services. Our capacity and route growth continue to match and meet passenger demand. High fuel prices, accounting for 39% of our expenditures, and the unfavourable currency exchange environment continue to eat into our profits. However, we remain steadfast in our vision to be the airline of choice for international air services, and we will invest in our people and our infrastructure, and work closely with our partners to bring this to fruition,” said Sheikh Ahmed.
World’s largest fleet
Operating the world’s largest fleet of A380s and the largest fleet of Boeing 777s, Emirates continues to provide ever better connections for its customers across the globe with just one stop in Dubai, by investing in its route network. It now flies to 137 destinations in 77 countries, up from 126 cities last year in 74 countries. The airline’s new destinations since 1 April 2013 – Haneda, Stockholm, Clark, Conakry, and Sialkot – include key cities and regional airports currently underserved by non-stop international services. Additional new routes to be added in the remaining part of the fiscal year include Kabul, Kiev, Taipei and Boston.
The Emirates A380 has also celebrated five years of operations, carrying over 18 million passengers since its first flight on 1 August 2008 from Dubai to New York.
In the first-half of its financial year 2013-14, Emirates posted strong business growth, both in terms of capacity on offer and traffic carried. This performance has been in sharp contrast to the current trend seen across the aviation industry. Capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKM), grew by 16.9%, whilst passenger traffic carried measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKM) was up 16.1% with Passenger Seat Factor sustained at a high level, averaging 79.2%, slightly below last year’s 79.7%. Emirates carried 21.5 million passengers since 1 April 2013, up 15% from the same period last year. The volume of cargo uplifted was up by 5.2%, a remarkable growth and performance against the market trend.
Emirates revenue, including other operating income, of AED 39.8 billion (US$ 10.8 billion) was higher by 12% compared with AED 35.4 billion (US$ 9.6 billion) recorded last year, reflecting passenger demand and strong yield.
