Emirates carried more than 8.6 million passengers in July and August 2026, operating around 93% of the capacity it had before the disruptions, while bookings for the winter season, which begins in late October, are growing in a number of markets.
Markets where demand currently exceeds last year's levels include South Africa, Brazil, India, Portugal, Egypt, Ghana, Colombia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, as well as Nepal through Emirates' partnership with flydubai, according to a post on the Emirates website.
The UAE also continues to see demand for outbound travel, alongside growing demand for premium cabins on Emirates flights.
Emirates flights to and from West Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa recorded load factors above 75% during the summer season, with strong performance on flights to and from Indonesia, Côte d'Ivoire and UK destinations.
Demand for Premium Economy rose across the Emirates network, with the Americas recording the highest growth in demand for this cabin.
Dubai welcomed more than half a million passengers on Emirates flights in late August, up 7% on the same period last year. Arrivals included residents returning before the start of the school year, new residents and visitors to the city.
During the summer season, Emirates offered one free date change to any destination on its network, as well as unlimited free date changes for flights to Dubai, and reduced refund fees for flights to Dubai.
The airline also launched comprehensive travel insurance that includes medical cover for cases linked to conflicts and airspace disruptions, as well as accommodation, ground support and rebooking when needed.
18 new aircraft since the start of 2026
Since the start of 2026, Emirates has taken delivery of 18 aircraft, including 11 Airbus A350s and 7 Boeing 777 freighters, and is set to receive 6 more Airbus A350s before the end of December.
The airline has so far completed the retrofit of 104 aircraft under its fleet retrofit program, including 53 Boeing 777s and 51 Airbus A380s.
This brings the number of aircraft offering Premium Economy and the latest cabin products to 137, rising to 155 by the end of December.
Premium Economy is currently available on flights to 90 destinations and is set to be added to 6 more before the end of the year, including Paris, Delhi and Stockholm. Emirates has also fitted 50 aircraft with Starlink, with installations continuing as part of the fleet retrofit program.
2026 has seen the launch of "U-dream" headrests in Economy Class on Airbus A350 aircraft, a Premium Economy seat with privacy dividers, and the new generation of Emirates lounges in Munich, Frankfurt and Manchester.
Helsinki joins the network in October
Helsinki joins the Emirates network from 1 October, with flights operated by Airbus A350. A350 aircraft currently serve 30 destinations from Dubai, rising to 36 by the end of the year.
Emirates also plans to increase capacity on a number of routes, with Accra, Tokyo Narita, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi getting a second daily flight, while one of the daily Delhi flights will be operated by Airbus A380.
Airbus A350 aircraft are set to begin serving Larnaca, Malta, Nairobi and Hamburg from late October, followed by Mauritius in November. Retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft will also enter service to Stockholm in October and Frankfurt in November.
Emirates offers access to 1,750 additional cities through 168 codeshare, interline and intermodal partnerships, with more than 13,000 passengers a day continuing their journeys on services operated by partner airlines.
214 destinations through the flydubai partnership
The Emirates and flydubai partnership provides access to more than 214 destinations in more than 100 countries, with more than 4,600 connection options via Dubai.
Emirates passengers can reach more than 100 destinations on the flydubai network, while flydubai passengers can reach more than 140 destinations on the Emirates network.
Kathmandu, Zanzibar, Krabi and Belgrade are among the flydubai destinations most used by Emirates passengers. Since the partnership launched in 2017, Emirates and flydubai have carried more than 28 million passengers across their networks.
flydubai added Chittagong in Bangladesh to its network in April 2026, followed by Aleppo in Syria and Benghazi in Libya in July, with expansion continuing in September with the addition of Bangkok via Don Mueang Airport and Pokhara in Nepal.
To view the post on the Emirates website, click here.
