DUBAI: Long-haul carrier Emirates reported on Thursday that it earned annual profits of USD 5.2 billion, making it one of the world’s most-profitable airlines. The Dubai-based carrier served 53.7 million passengers out of its hub of Dubai International Airport, compared to 51.9 million passengers in the fiscal year prior. It had aftertax profits of USD 4.7 billion that same period. The overall Emirates Group, owned by Dubai’s sovereign wealth fund known as the Investment Corporation of Dubai, saw annual profits of USD 5.6 billion, compared to USD 5.1 billion the year before. “Our excellent financial standing enables us to continue building on and scaling up from our successful business models,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktom, Emirates’ chairman and chief executive. “While some markets are jittery about trade and travel restrictions, volatility is not new in our industry,” he said. “We simply adapt and navigate around these challenges.” Emirates’ financial year runs from April 1 to March 31, including revenue from both 2024 and 2025. The carrier reported to have 260 aircraft and that it’s flying to 148 locations around the world, long relying on the Boeing 777 and the double-decker Airbus A380. However, Emirates has begun introducing the Airbus A350 as well to its schedule. Emirates serves as a crucial link in East-West travel and is the crown jewel of what experts and diplomats refer to as “Dubai Inc.” – a series of interconnected companies overseen by the sheikhdom’s ruling Al Maktoum family. The Emirates’ results track with those for its base, Dubai International Airport. The world’s busiest airport for international travellers had a record 92.3 million passengers pass through its terminals in 2024. The airport now plans to move to the city-state’s second, sprawling airfield in its southern desert reaches in the next 10 years in a project worth nearly USD 35 billion. A real-estate boom and the city’s highest-ever tourism numbers have made Dubai a destination as well as a layover. However, the city is now grappling with increasing traffic and costs pressuring both its Emirati citizens and the foreign residents who power its economy. As one of seven hereditarily ruled, autocratic sheikhdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates, Dubai provided Emirates over USD 4 billion in a bailout at the height of the pandemic. In its report on Thursday, Emirates said it had repaid USD 3.6 billion of that loan.