Emirates rewards employees with 20-week bonus following historic profit year
Aviation giant recognises staff performance amid regional disruption challenges
DUBAI – The Emirates Group has announced a major 20-week salary bonus for employees after delivering a record financial performance for 2025-26.
The decision follows a year in which the aviation giant posted historic profits, strong revenue growth and its highest-ever cash reserves. The announcement comes despite significant disruption in the final month of the financial year due to regional conflict affecting Middle East aviation.
The Group, which includes Emirates airline, dnata and multiple aviation services subsidiaries, continues to rank among the world’s strongest-performing aviation businesses. It also retained its position as the world’s most profitable airline during the reporting period.
Record year
The Emirates Group reported profit before tax of Dh24.4 billion, up 7 percent year-on-year, with revenue rising to Dh150.5 billion. Cash assets reached Dh59.6 billion, reflecting strong operational performance and financial discipline across its businesses.
For the second year in a row, Emirates is the world’s most profitable airline in the 2025-26 reporting period.
— Emirates (@emirates) May 7, 2026
The airline has reported record-breaking financial results, despite a disruptive and challenging 12th month of its financial year, including:
???? Record profit before… pic.twitter.com/H8I62qwMYF
The airline and dnata both contributed to growth, supported by rising global travel demand, cargo resilience and continued investment in fleet, infrastructure and technology. Despite a challenging final month, the Group described most of the year as strongly positive, with consistent performance across key markets.
Reward for Emirates staff
The 20-week salary bonus was confirmed as a recognition of employee performance and resilience during a turbulent operational period. In a letter to staff, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, praised employees for their response during one of the most complex periods in the company’s history.
The Emirates Group has once again achieved record-breaking performance in the 2025-26 reporting cycle.
— HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (@HHAhmedBinSaeed) May 7, 2026
These outstanding results, despite significant challenges in the last month of our financial year, reaffirm the strength and resilience of the Emirates Group’s business model,… pic.twitter.com/1rLOcNBBWx
He highlighted their commitment during disruption, noting that staff had delivered “bravery and incredible resilience” in maintaining operations and customer service standards. The bonus reflects the Group’s broader policy of linking strong financial performance with employee rewards.
Workforce growth
The announcement comes alongside continued expansion in hiring across the organisation. The Group’s workforce grew by 8 per cent to 130,919 employees during the year, reflecting recruitment across aviation, cargo, catering and travel operations.
Emirates and dnata also continued to onboard thousands of new employees globally as they expanded operations, launched new routes and strengthened their service capabilities. The Group said its people remain central to its ability to navigate volatility while maintaining global competitiveness and operational continuity.