The Emirates Group has officially cemented its status as the world’s most profitable aviation powerhouse, unveiling a 2025-26 Annual Report that shatters all previous financial records. Despite a highly disruptive final month in the fiscal year, the group reported a staggering record profit before tax of USD 6.2 billion (AED 22.8 billion), marking a 7% increase over the previous year.
This financial triumph is underscored by a record-breaking revenue of USD 35.7 billion, fueled by a global network that has now expanded to 152 cities across 80 countries. Even with the introduction of the UAE’s 15% corporate tax—a significant jump from the previous 9%—the group’s net profit after tax remained a resilient USD 5.7 billion. The group’s cash reserves have ballooned to an unprecedented USD 15 billion, providing a massive buffer against the current global economic uncertainty and volatile fuel prices.
The group’s service arm, dnata, mirrored this success, delivering a record USD 437 million profit, supported by a 12% revenue surge. Strategically, Emirates is preparing for long-term dominance; the group invested USD 4.9 billion this year into new aircraft, facilities, and cutting-edge tech. With the delivery of 15 new Airbus A350s and a workforce that has grown to over 130,000 employees, Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum confirmed that the airline is fully hedged on fuel until 2028-29. This strategic foresight allows Emirates to scale back to pre-disruption capacity without the “knee-jerk” cost-cutting measures currently plaguing its global competitors.
