Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

The Emirates Group announced its half-yearly results with revenues reaching AED 47.5 billion (€10.34 billion) for the first six months of its 2014-15 fiscal year, up 12 per cent from the same period last year.

Net profit for the group rose to AED 2.2 billion (€486 million) an increase of one per cent over the last year’s results.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “It is external threats that we cannot anticipate or directly manage, such as the global economic malaise, the Ebola outbreak, currency fluctuations, and regional conflicts, that could negate our efforts and plans.

“These issues appear to be piling up, impacting commercial aviation and travel, but show no signs of speedy resolution. Therefore it is critical that we stay agile as we grow. The ability to adapt and act quickly will determine our continued success. Moving forward, we will keep a watchful eye on these challenges, but continue to focus on our long-term goals and invest in the infrastructure of both Emirates and Dnata.”

In the past six months, the group continued to develop and expand its employee base, increasing its overall staff count by 5 per cent to over 79,000 compared with March 2014.

During the first six months of the fiscal year, Emirates received 13 wide-body aircraft, with 11 more new aircraft scheduled to be delivered before March 2015.

Emirates also expanded its global route network by launching services to four new destinations – Abuja, Chicago, Oslo, and Brussels.