40 years of UAE: The launch of Emirates Airline

Dubai Business News — Emirates airline made its first flight from Dubai with two leased aircraft — a Boeing 727 and an Airbus 300 B4.

Inaugural flight EK600 took off for Karachi on October 25, 1985 from Dubai International Airport. Starting with a cheque of $10 million (Dh36.7 million), a small team of professionals and two aircraft in 1985 and flying to two destinations — Bombay and Karachi, Emirates has come a long way.

Now, flying to 105 destinations on six continents and having 156 aircraft, the company is considered one of the fastest growing airlines and the choice of frequent fliers in the UAE.

Emirates' current orderbook stands at 199 aircraft with a total value of approximately $66 billion. In the financial year 2010-11, Emirates reported revenue of $15.6 billion and net profit of $1.6 billion, and it carried 31.4 million passengers and 1.8 million tonnes of cargo. The airline is a key player in the aviation industry.

Reports from GulfNews.com.