Emirates' half-year profits of €140m surpasses last year's

Emirates airline produced a net profit of €140 million for the first six months of its current financial year ending September 30, 2009. This represents a 165 per cent improvement compared to €53 million net profits for the same period in 2008.

During this period the airline carried over 13 million passengers and over 700,000 tonnes of cargo.

Emirates supported and stimulated growth in the aviation and tourism industry by continuing fleet and network expansion with eight new aircraft added, two new destinations launched and additional frequencies introduced, progressing its ongoing programme to install the latest inflight entertainment systems and mobile connectivity across its fleet and investing in the training and retention of its 29,000-strong staff.

In the first-half of its financial year 2009-10, Emirates posted strong business growth, both in terms of capacity on offer and traffic carried compared to the corresponding period in 2008.

Total revenue at €3.6 billion was lower by 13.5 per cent compared with €4.3 billion recorded last year, largely reflecting lower passenger and cargo yields. However, total expenditure at €3.5 billion was 15.8 per cent lower than €4.2 billion last year, helped by cost containment measures and lower jet fuel prices.

Since April 2009, Emirates has launched passenger services to two new destinations, Durban and Luanda, expanding its global network which now spans 101 cities on six continents.

Emirates' current fleet size is 139 aircraft.

Since the beginning of its current financial year, the airline has received delivery of eight new wide body aircraft, with another 10 new jets scheduled to be delivered before the end of the financial year in March 2010.

Emirates flies on a daily schedule to Malta from its base in Dubai, via Larnaca, Cyprus.