Emirates airline earns US$ 6.2bn, remains world’s most profitable carrier
Emirates Group has announced record-breaking financial results for the 2025-26 fiscal year (1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026), reporting its highest-ever profit, revenue and cash reserves despite a challenging final month of the reporting period, a press release said.
The Group — comprising Emirates airline, dnata and other subsidiaries — recorded a profit before tax of US$ 6.6 billion, up 7% year-on-year, while revenue rose 3% to a record US$ 41 billion. Cash assets also reached an all-time high of US$ 16.2 billion, an increase of 12% compared to the previous year. EBITDA stood at US$ 11.2 billion, reflecting strong operational profitability. During the year, the Group invested US$ 4.9 billion in new aircraft, facilities, equipment and advanced technologies to support future growth.
The Group declared a dividend of US$ 1 billion to its owner, the Investment Corporation of Dubai.
Emirates Airline the third most valuable brand retained its position as the world’s most profitable airline, posting a record pre-tax profit of US$ 6.2 billion, up 7% from last year. Airline revenue climbed 2% to US$ 35.7 billion, while cash assets reached US$ 15 billion.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group said: “These outstanding results, despite significant challenges in the last month of our financial year, reaffirm the strength and resilience of the Emirates Group’s business model, which is rooted in safety, excellence, innovation, people and partnerships.”
“Our fundamentals are strong. The Emirates Group’s proven business model is unchanged. Dubai’s place at the nexus of global commerce, trade and travel flows is unchanged. Our ambition to be the best in the world, and to be of service to the world, is unchanged.”
During 2025-26, Emirates’ global network expanded to 152 cities across 80 countries, supported by 32 codeshare and 117 interline partnerships, offering connectivity to more than 1,700 cities worldwide.
The airline carried 53.2 million passengers during the year, while Emirates SkyCargo (Cargo transportation division of Emirates airline) transported 2.4 million tonnes of cargo, generating US$ 4.4 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, dnata reported a 2% increase in pre-tax profit to US$ 437 million, with revenue reaching a record US$ 6.4 billion.
The Group’s workforce grew 8% to 130,919 employees globally as Emirates and dnata continued expanding operations and recruitment worldwide.
The full annual report is available at: Emirates Group Annual Report 2025-26
