Emirates Group marks record annual profits with 20-week staff bonus

Emirates Group will offer its staff a 20-week bonus after achieving annual record profits of AED 24.5 billion despite facing a disruptive final month of the 2025-2026 financial year due to the Iran war.

The group recorded 7 per cent increase in profits from last year, as well as a 3 per cent increase in revenue of AED 150.5 billion.

The report showed that Emirates Group’s total workforce grew by 8 per cent to 130,919 employees, as Emirates and dnata continued recruitment activity around the world to support its expanding operations and boost its future capabilities.

Its UAE national workforce also grew to surpass 4,000, as a result of the success of its programmes to attract, grow, and retain local talent.

The report also added that it received AED 59.6 billion in cash assets, up 12 per cent from last year.

For the second year in a row, Emirates is the world’s most profitable airline in the 2025-26 reporting period.

The airline has reported record-breaking financial results, despite a disruptive and challenging 12th month of its financial year, including:

🏆 Record profit before… pic.twitter.com/H8I62qwMYF

— Emirates (@emirates) May 7, 2026

"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," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group.

Emirates Group marked record level of cash assets at AED59.6 billion, up 12 per cent from last year, and EBITDA of AED 41.1 billion, reflecting its strong operating profitability.

Emirates Airline posted record profit before tax of AED 22.8 billion, up 7 per cent from last year and record revenue of AED 130.9 billion, an increase of 2 per cent over last year.

dnata delivered solid growth and performance across its business units, reporting record profit before tax of AED 1.6 billion, up 2 per cent from last year, and record revenue of AED 23.6 billion, up 12 per cent.

The Emirates Group has once again achieved record-breaking performance in the 2025-26 reporting cycle.

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,… pic.twitter.com/1rLOcNBBWx

— HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (@HHAhmedBinSaeed) May 7, 2026

Commenting on the outlook for 2026-27, Sheikh Ahmed said: “Right now, military activities between the US, Israel and Iran are paused under a ceasefire agreement. We hope for a clear resolution to the hostilities soon, and a return to market stability. But in the meantime, we are not sitting on our hands. 

“From a fuel perspective, Emirates is well-hedged until 2028-29; and we have worked with our suppliers to secure the volumes required to support our current operations and our scaling up to pre-disruption levels. At dnata and across the Group, our business streams, scale, portfolio mix, and years of investments give us the resilience and agility to address any near-term challenges.

“The Emirates Group enters 2026-27 with very strong cash reserves, which enable us to progress with our plans to strengthen our business without knee-jerk cost control measures. Our aircraft deliveries and retrofit programme will continue apace, as well as our planned investments in new facilities and equipment."