Staff across the Emirates Group will receive a bonus worth 20 weeks of their salary, the company has confirmed, following a financial year that produced record pre-tax earnings of AED24.4 billion — a seven percent increase over the previous year.
The announcement extends a four-year streak of substantial staff bonuses at the group. Employees received a 22-week payout in 2025, 20 weeks in 2024, and 24 weeks in 2023, when more than 50,000 workers benefited from the scheme.
The group, which encompasses both Emirates airline and airport services company dnata, grew its headcount by nine percent to 130,919 employees during the year. A new cabin crew village is currently under construction between Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport.
The profit was achieved despite significant disruption in the year’s final weeks. On February 28, military activity in the Gulf region severely curtailed commercial air traffic, forcing Emirates and dnata to mobilise emergency responses to protect staff, assets, and customers.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline and group, acknowledged the disruption while highlighting the broader performance: “For the first 11 months of 2025-26, the picture across the Group was very positive. Strong demand for our products and services was driving revenue, and we were achieving healthy margins thanks to our sustained investments in product, people, technology and brand. Month after month, we were surpassing our targets.”
He credited Dubai’s infrastructure for enabling a faster recovery than might otherwise have been possible. “We are fortunate to be based in Dubai, where years of infrastructure investments and a cohesive aviation ecosystem has enabled the government to quickly secure safe corridors for commercial flights,” Sheikh Ahmed said.
Operations at Dubai International have since been gradually restored, though passenger capacity remains below pre-disruption levels. Cargo operations have recovered more quickly, supporting the movement of essential goods through the UAE. Sheikh Ahmed also noted that the group is fuel-hedged through 2028/29 and has secured supply volumes from its suppliers to support a return to full operational scale.
