Emirates has confirmed that passenger numbers visiting Dubai from Ireland increased by 11% in 2019. Overall passenger numbers on the Dublin – Dubai route, which includes those connecting with onward destinations, held steady at 448,000. (The 11% figure represents passengers who did not book a connecting flight beyond Dubai with Emirates and relates to the 2019 calendar year v the 2018 calendar year.)
“We are really pleased with our 2019 figures, which didn’t suffer from the threat of restrained consumer spending, which was a general concern across many sectors,” said Enda Corneille, Country Manager for Emirates in Ireland.
“While many of our customers use our hub in Dubai to connect with destinations across Asia, Africa and Australasia, a significant number are staying in Dubai for business and leisure purposes. With two direct flights daily, a flight time of around seven hours and year-round sunshine, Dubai has established itself as an accessible and exciting destination for holidaymakers from Ireland, and I believe that this is a trend that is set to continue.”
Enda also confirmed a 2% increase in passenger numbers in Business and First Class during 2019, representing 29% of all passenger traffic on the Dublin-Dubai route.
The three most popular destinations from Dublin during 2019 were Dubai, Bangkok and Sydney.
Exports and Equine
For the Dublin-Dubai route, Emirates uses state-of-the-art Boeing 777s, each of which can carry 360 passengers and 25 tonnes of cargo. During 2019 Emirates carried 15,700 tonnes of goods on the Dublin-Dubai route and beyond to destinations including Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai, which are strong markets for food exports from Ireland such as crabs, oysters and salmon.
Emirates carries a number of Irish products onboard for passengers in selected classes including VOYA, Butlers Chocolates, Killowen Yogurt and Keogh’s Crisps. Other Irish food products carried by the airline to Dubai and Asia include baby milk formula, eggs, beef, dairy and chocolates.
Pharmaceuticals accounted for more than 2,500 tonnes of cargo carried by Emirates SkyCargo from Dublin last year to end markets including Australia, India and the Middle East.
SkyCargo is Emirates freight division, with a dedicated team at Dublin Airport and specialist transportation for the different types of cargo carried, which in 2019 included a major horse charter to Dubai of 36 horses and nine grooms.
Rugby World Cup 2019 Boost to Numbers
Emirates offers more than 4,500 channels on ice, its award-winning inflight entertainment system, and screened all matches from Rugby World Cup 2019 on the more than 175 aircraft with Live TV. The airline reported an uplift in numbers departing Ireland for Japan during RWC2019, carrying an additional 3,000 rugby fans from Dublin over the period.
In 2019, Emirates elevated its in-flight entertainment experience by introducing playlist synching. Customers can now browse the extensive content on offer, create personalised playlists ahead of their flight, and sync it to their seats once onboard, using the Emirates app.
Chernobyl (HB), was the most watched TV show onboard in 2019 and the most popular movies were Captain Marvel and Avengers: End Game. Other popular blockbusters were A Star is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody, while the most popular children’s programme was Paw Patrol.
Emirates invests more than US$27 million (€24.2 million) annually to operate its in-flight connectivity systems. Over 13 million WiFi connections were made onboard during 2019.
Modern Fleet
Globally, Emirates serves 159 destinations across 85 countries and territories. Flying one of the most modern fleet of aircraft in the world, Emirates operates 113 Airbus 380s and 155 Boeing 777s. At the Dubai Airshow 2019, Emirates placed an order for 50 A350-900 XWB aircraft and confirmed a full purchase agreement for 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
The airline’s latest US$24.8 billion investment in its future fleet will expand its operational flexibility in terms of capacity and range, allowing it to further develop its network proposition beyond 2020.
