The top Emirates competitors are Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, Fly Dubai, Malaysia Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and others. Emirates Airlines is a famous airline company based in Dubai, UAE. Started in the year 1985, their operations were started with two aircraft, Boeing 737 and Airbus 300 B4. It offers their customers great comforts with latest wide-body aircraft in the skies.
This airline is considered as the largest airline in the Middle East and operates about 3,600 flights per week from the Dubai International airport. Their airlines inspire travelers across the globe with their wide network of destinations thus providing world-class service.
For the financial year ended 31 March 2023, The Group’s revenue was AED 119.8 billion (US$ 32.6 billion). The Emirates Group posted a record profit of AED 10.9 billion (US$ 3.0 billion) compared with an AED 3.8 billion (US$ 1.0 billion) loss for last year. Emirates carried 43.6 million passengers (up 123%) in 2022-23.
As of March 2023, the airline has 119 A380s in service, making it the largest operator of this aircraft globally. Ever since its formation, the Airbus A380 has become a vital part of the Emirates fleet, especially on high-traffic routes.
This airline has a strong support of the Dubai government. It has excelled in customer service, in-flight entertainments, and exclusive lounges.
Through this article, let us discuss the top Emirates competitors.
Table of Contents
Top Emirates competitors
1) Etihad Airways
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 2003, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
- Founder: Government of Abu Dhabi.
- Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
- Area Served: Worldwide.
- Current CEO: Antonoaldo Neves
Etihad Airways is the second largest airline of UAE. Established in the year 2003, it is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and owned by the Abu Dhabi Government. Etihad Airways serves 1 domestic destination and 69 international destinations in 44 countries, as of June 2023. Etihad is one of the business divisions of the Etihad Aviation Group.
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways swung to a core operating profit of $296 million in the first half of 2022. Operating revenue rose to $2.29 billion from $1.23 billion.
In July 2022, Etihad announced a record breaking first half profitability of $296 million. This was achieved due to the increased passenger travel demand. Etihad carried 3 million more passengers in the first half of 2022.
In 2023, the airline won an industry award for its environmental efforts. According to its own sustainability report, Etihad said it had achieved a 26% reduction in CO2 emissions per Revenue Tonne Kilometre.
Apart from the airline services, Etihad also operates Etihad Holidays and Etihad Cargo. It has established its own airline association called Etihad Airways Partners which includes Air Serbia, Jet Airways, and Air Seychelles. The main strength of this airline is being centrally located thereby providing access to Asia and Europe.
This airline company has a good branding and visibility and it has sponsored many events. Due to its main focus in customer service and in-flight entertainment, Etihad Airways is considered as one of the top Emirates competitors.
2) Qatar Airways
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 1993, in Doha, Qatar.
- Founder: Government of Qatar.
- Headquarters: Doha, Qatar.
- Area Served: Worldwide.
- Current CEO: Akbar Al Baker
- Revenue: QAR 76.3 billion (US$ 21.0 billion) (2022)
- Number of employees: 41,000 + (2022)
Also a top Emirates competitor, Qatar Airways is a state-owned airway headquartered in Qatar and established in 1997. Qatar Airways flies to over 90 countries on all 6 inhabited continents- including 13 destinations in India and 11 in the United States.
It is the youngest international airlines serving about six continents. The company functions flights various leisure and business destinations across the globe. It has strategic partnerships with Royal Air Maroc and Cathay Pacific.
Qatar Airways has a strong support from the Government of Qatar. It has the biggest advantage of being located in an oil-rich state which is a great support for the finance of the Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways Group reported a net profit of QAR 4.4 billion (US$ 1.21 billion) during the fiscal year 2022/23. Overall revenue increased to QAR 76.3 billion (US$ 21.0 billion), up 45 per cent compared to last year. Qatar Airways network grew to more than 160 destinations in 2022/23.
On 8 September 2023, Alpine F1 Team announced partnership with Qatar Airways to become Official Airline Partner. On 3 March 2023, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the Bangalore franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL), signed Qatar Airways as its title sponsor for three years in a Rs. 75 crore deal. On 22 February 2023, Formula One announced a partnership with Qatar Airways, replacing Emirates as the Global Airline Partner in a multi-year deal starting from the 2023 season. The partnership includes title sponsorship of three races in the 2023 season.
It has won many awards for its first-class service, in-flight entertainment and many more. Due to their strong focus on sponsorship and marketing for increasing the brand awareness, Qatar Airways is considered as one of the top Emirates competitors.
3) Lufthansa
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 1926, in Cologne, Germany.
- Founders: Deutsche Luft Hansa AG.
- Headquarters: Cologne, Germany.
- Area Served: Worldwide.
- Current CEO: Carsten Spohr
- Revenue: EUR 32.770m (2022)
- Number of employees: 109,509
Lufthansa is an aviation company and largest German airline. It has its operations worldwide. The main business segments of Lufthansa include maintenance, logistics, overhaul service, and catering. This airline is a part of Star Alliance which includes Thai Airways, Air Canada, and United Airlines thereby making it the largest alliance in the world. In total, the group has over 700 aircraft, making it one of the largest airline fleets in the world.
Lufthansa flies to 205 destinations from their Hubs Frankfurt and Munich, thus being the Airline with the second most destinations. Frankfurt is mostly used for intercontinental flights and Munich mostly for European Flights. This airline company also provides IT and consulting services for the aviation industry like emergency and service drill, simulator training, and e-learning.
The Lufthansa Group generated revenue of EUR 32,770m in the financial year 2022, and it has 109,509 employees. Net income was 791 million euros. Total assets were €43.335 billion. Operating income was €1.5 billion.
Lufthansa is known for its in-flight services. This airline provides economy and luxury cabins, long and short haul and many more services. Due to their global reach and a solid balance sheet, Lufthansa is considered as one of the top Emirates competitors.
4) Fly Dubai
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 2008, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Founders: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
- Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Area Served: Worldwide.
- Current CEO: Ghaith Al Ghaith
- Revenue: AED 9.1 billion (FY 2022)
A Dubai aviation company, Fly Dubai established in the year 2008 is owned by the Government and a low-cost airline. The airline operates in about 95 destinations and serves the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Africa.
It started off its aviation operations with almost 50 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft. Over the years, Fly Dubai started its operations to many countries across the world and at present flies about 1,400 flights per week. It has about 500 pilots and 1,000 cabin crews serving the flight. The main strength of this airline is that it has a quick rate of growth since its formation. As of April 2023, Flydubai serves more than 110 destinations.
Flydubai announces record Full-Year profit of AED 1.2 billion for 2022. Reports total annual revenue of AED 9.1 billion. Carries 10.6 million passengers. Takes delivery of 17 new aircraft; a record number of deliveries received in one year. Hires 1,300 employees; the airline’s biggest recruitment drive in any year.
It has a strong operational airport having a high passenger flight rate. As this airline is one of the fastest growing airlines and aims to make the travel more affordable, Fly Dubai is indeed a top Emirates competitor.
5) Malaysia Airlines
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 1947,
- Founders: Government of Malaysia.
- Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Area Served: Worldwide.
- Current CEO: Izham Ismail
- Revenue: RM3.39 billion (Q1, 2023)
Malaysia Airlines is an airline company which operates from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The airlines offer air transportation services in and around Malaysia, and to other destinations like Europe, Americas, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. This airline also takes care of commercial services including government and corporate travel, charter services, and flight simulator.
Malaysia Airlines maintains two subsidiary airlines called MASwings and Firefly. Inter-Borneo flights are taken care of by MASwings. Firefly functions flights from Penang and Subang International Airport. Malaysia Airlines also has a freighter fleet which is taken care of by its sister company MASkargo.
For full year 2022, the Group recorded net operating profit of RM556mil. MAG achieved record net profit after interest and tax of RM1.146bil in Q422.
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) is on track to post its first annual profit in years after registering a net profit of RM450 million in the first quarter ended March 31 2023. MAG recorded RM550 million in operating profit in Q1 2023, while revenue reached RM3.39 billion. MAG posted its best ever quarterly performance in Q4 2022 with a net profit of RM1.15 billion on the back of RM3.80 billion revenue.
It takes care of aircraft cargo-hold capacity and freighter flights for every passenger flights of Malaysia Airlines. The main strength of this airline is its partnership with Emirates thereby operating flights from Malaysia to Dubai. It provides various customer-centric food menus for the passengers and offers a wide range of Malaysian dishes. Due to their main focus on improving the performance of the airlines, Malaysia airlines are considered as one of the top Emirates competitors.
6) Turkish Airlines
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: in 1933,
- Founders: Turkish government.
- Headquarters: Istanbul, Turkey.
- Area Served: Worldwide.
- Current CEO: Bilal Eksi (2023–).
- Revenue: $18.4 billion (2022)
A famous airline of Turkey, Turkish airlines serves many non-stop destinations from one airport. It is the first airline company of Turkey. This airline started its aviation journey with five aircraft in the year 1933. At present, it has about 326 aircraft flying to about 120 countries.
It also provides services like maintenance and repair to the aviation sector. It is a member of Star Alliance which is a global airline network. Over the years it has gained high-quality flying experience for its passengers. It provides various in-flight services like lounge facilities, in-flight entertainment which highlights the brand. It has a strong association with the sports team and has also sponsored many events which gave way to increase the brand equity of Turkish Airlines.
Turkish Airlines posted a $2.7 billion net profit in 2022. The company reaped a record-high revenue of $18.4 billion last year. With a fleet of 394 aircraft, Turkish Airlines carried around 72 million passengers with an 85.8% domestic and 80.1% international load factor. The airline’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and rent (EBITDAR) amounted to $5.4 billion.
Due to the support from Government and having a strong financial support, Turkish Airlines is considered as one of the top Emirates competitors.
7) Saudi Arabian Airlines
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 1945, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Founders: Government of Saudi Arabia.
- Headquarters: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Area Served: Worldwide.
- Current CEO: Ibrahim Al-Omar
Saudi Arabian Airlines is a well-known airline in Saudi Arabia. The company provides various air transportation services for passengers, baggage, and cargo. This airline is available across the world. Established in the year 1945, it started its operations with a single twin-engine DC-3.
Later the airlines went on to purchase more of engines thus forming the largest airline in the world. As of April 2023, the Saudia fleet consists of 151 aircraft which includes the latest jets like B777-268L, B787-9, Airbus A320-200, Airbus A330-300, and Airbus A321.
In March 2023, Aston Martin F1 Team announced Saudia as the team’s official global airline partner in a multi-year deal. Saudia operates to 102 destinations as of October 2022. Saudia’s plan is to reach 250 destinations by 2030.
This airline has gained many national and international awards. Saudi Arabian Airlines has various groups who specialize in marketing activities to bring the brand to the top level. Due to the various strategic alliances and extensive resources of the airline, Saudi Arabian Airlines is considered as one of the top Emirates competitors.
8) Cathay Pacific
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 1946, in Hong Kong.
- Founders: Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow.
- Headquarters: Hong Kong.
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Augustus Tang
- Revenue: $6.517B (2022)
- Number of employees: 21,200(2022)
- Market cap: $6.63B (September 15, 2023)
Cathay Pacific Airways is a famous aviation company in Hong Kong. It has its head office and main hub at Hong Kong international airport. It operates a fleet of wide-body aircraft which consists of Airbus A350, Airbus A330, and Boeing 777. Cathay Pacific flies to over 180 destinations around the world together with Cathay Dragon. It is one of the founding members of the oneworld global alliance, whose combined network serves over 750 destinations worldwide.
Cathay Pacific Airways annual gross profit for 2022 was $2.616B. Cathay Pacific Airways annual net income for 2022 was $-0.915B. Cathay Pacific Airways annual operating income for 2022 was $0.453B. Cathay Pacific Airways total assets for 2022 were $23.103B.
This airline is well-known as it has a well-distributed network and they plan to expand the network in near future. As the technology is in great demand, Cathay Pacific monitors the preferences of customer and research the behavior using the latest data analytics tools. Due to the perfect customer focus and safety concerns, Cathay Pacific is regarded as one of the top Emirates competitors.
9) Qantas Airways
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 1920, in Winton, Queensland, Australia.
- Founders: Hudson Fysh, Paul McGinness, and Fergus McMaster.
- Headquarters: Sydney, Australia.
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Alan Joyce
- Revenue: 9.10 billion Australian dollars (2022)
- Number of employees: 23,500 (2023)
A well-known airline company of Australia, Queensland, and Northern Territory Aerial Services (Qantas) airways is the largest airline with respect to international flights and fleet size. It is founded in the year 1920 and is the third oldest airline in the world.
This airline is the world’s foremost long distance airline and is one of the strongest airline brands in Australia. This airline has built a reputation for safety excellence, engineering, maintenance, customer service, and operational reliability. This airline company has about 23,500 people.
Australia’s flag carrying airline, Qantas, recognized total revenue during the 2022 financial year of 9.10 billion Australian dollars. The Qantas Group reported record Underlying Profit Before Tax of $1,428 million for the first half 2022/23.
It is known for its excellent quality of service. Few of the services that make it noticeable are SMS at the time of check-in for domestic travelers, various options of in-flight entertainment, and customized meals. Due to the consistent and steady growth in the airline industry, Qantas Airways have been considered as one of the top Emirates competitors.
10) Air France
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 30 August 1933, in Paris, France.
- Founders: Government of France.
- Headquarters: Paris, France.
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Anne Rigail
- Revenue: $6,794 million (March 2023)
- Number of employees: 74,602 (2022)
- Market cap: $0.87B (September 15, 2023)
A leading airline company situated in France, Air France was formed during the year 1933. Air France is a number one French airline and is considered as a leading player in three main activities like cargo transport, aircraft maintenance, and passenger transport.
The airline operates to about 195 destinations across 91 countries from its hubs located at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports. This airline has a good in-flight entertainment. It has tied-up with SNCF to provide rail services wherein the customers can book air ticket, perform the check-in operations at the railway station.
Air France-KLM SA Quarterly Net Income as of March 2023 is $-369 million. Air France-KLM SA Quarterly Gross Profit as of March 2023 is $2,190 million. Air France-KLM SA Quarterly Total Assets as of March 2023 is $34,393 million.
It also provides all major services through the mobile site and Air France apps in 9 different languages. It has more than 74,602 employees working for them. Due to their high focus on customer service, Air France is a top Emirates competitor.
11) British Airways
- Product Type: Airline services.
- Industry: Aviation.
- Founded: 25 August 1919, in London, England.
- Founders: Aircraft Transport and Travel (AT&T).
- Headquarters: Waterside, Harmondsworth, Hillingdon, Greater London, UK.
- Area Served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Sean Doyle
- Revenue: 11 billion British pounds (2022)
- Number of employees: 7400 (2022)
The largest airline company of the United Kingdom, British Airways was formed in the year 1974. It was established by the British Government to manage two nationalized airline corporations, British European Airways and British Overseas Airways Corporation.
Over the years two more airways, Cambrian Airways, and Northeast Airlines joined them and formed British Airways. This airway has strong support from the British government. The company maintains its own engineering branch to maintain its various aircraft.
British Airways serves over 170 destinations in 70 countries, including eight domestic and 27 in the United States. In 2022, British Airways generated around 11 billion British pounds in revenue. Created in 1974, British Airways is a flagship airline in the United Kingdom, and the second largest airline in the United Kingdom. In 2022, the airline carried around 33 million passengers . For the year ended 31 December 2022, the Group made a profit before tax of £46 million. British airways recruited approximately 7,400 colleagues throughout the year.
Due to the usage of technology at all places, this airway has developed an online ordering system to enable the use of e-tickets and other online services. Due to their strong brand and many years of service, British Airways is considered as one of the top Emirates competitors.
Conclusion
The airway companies are very much essential in the current world owing to the number of people traveling for various purposes across the globe. Emirates airline provides excellent service to the customers to make them choose Emirates for their travel.
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