Emirates Group has reported record annual profits and revenues for the 2025-26 financial year, underlining the resilience of the Gulf aviation giant despite heightened regional instability in the Middle East, says a press release today.
The Dubai-based aviation and travel conglomerate, which includes Emirates and dnata, posted a pre-tax profit of $6.6bn for the year ending 31 March 2026, up 7% from the previous year.
Group revenue rose 3% year-on-year to a record $41bn, while cash reserves climbed 12% to an all-time high of $16.2bn. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) reached $11.2bn.
The results came despite what the company described as “significant challenges” during the final month of the financial year, as conflict and geopolitical tensions in the region disrupted parts of global aviation and energy markets.
Emirates airline retained its position as the world’s most profitable carrier, recording a pre-tax profit of $6.2bn, also up 7% year-on-year. Revenue at the airline increased 2% to $35.7bn, while cash assets stood at $15bn.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said the results demonstrated the strength of the company’s long-term business strategy.
“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,” he said.
During the year, the Group invested $4.9bn in new aircraft, infrastructure, equipment and technology as part of its expansion strategy. It also announced a dividend payment of $1bn to its owner, the Investment Corporation of Dubai.
Emirates expanded its network to 152 destinations across 80 countries, supported by 32 codeshare agreements and 117 interline partnerships, providing connections to more than 1,700 cities worldwide.
The airline carried 53.2 million passengers over the financial year, while Emirates SkyCargo transported 2.4 million tonnes of freight and generated $4.4bn in revenue.
Ground handling and travel services provider dnata reported a 2% rise in pre-tax profit to $437m, with annual revenue reaching a record $6.4bn.
The Group’s global workforce increased by 8% to 130,919 employees as Emirates and dnata expanded operations and recruitment worldwide.