Emirates expanded capacity by 16% in 2009/10, to hire 2,000 cabin crew in 2010

Emirates announced (09-Mar-2010) the following highlights in the past 12 months to Mar-2010:

• Fleet size: Increased from 131 aircraft to 145, while A380 fleet has doubled from four to eight;
• Seat capacity: +16% year-on-year;
• New destinations: Durban and Luanda. Tokyo, Amsterdam, Prague, Madrid and Dakar are to be launched in 2010;
• Departures per week: Increased from 981 per week in Mar-2009 to 1,107 per week currently, supported by the new routes and additional frequencies on existing routes, including Johannesburg, Athens, Rome, Amman, Male, Trivandrum, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney;
• Staffing: Approximately 660 cabin crew and 60 pilots have been recruited in the period, while an additional 2000 cabin will be recruited in 2010;
• Profits: USD205 million for 1H2009, +165% year-on-year;
• Passenger numbers: +18% for 1H2009;
• Lounges: Six lounges opened in Beijing, Mumbai, Johannesburg, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Manchester;
• In-flight mobile: Users increased from 100,000 in Mar-2009 to 1.7 million in the period. Number of AeroMobile-enabled aircraft has risen from 31 to 69;
• Resort portfolio: In Oct-2009, the carrier launched the Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, near Sydney. [more]