Emirates has announced that by the close of 2024, 450,000 passengers will have travelled between Ireland to Dubai and beyond, marking another year of strong demand on the route.
This demonstrates the continuing high demand for international travel among Irish holidaymakers and business travellers, the airline said.
Dubai retained its position as Emirates’ top destination from Ireland, while 2024 also saw significant growth in demand for Australia, Thailand, South Africa, Vietnam, and Indian Ocean destinations such as the Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles.
Globally, Emirates carried 26.9 million passengers between April and September of 2024, a 3% rise on the same period last year.
Anita Thomas, Emirates’ Country Manager, Ireland, spoke about the changing travel behaviours among Irish passengers, with an increasing number of families now choosing Dubai as a holiday destination and a notable rise in First and Business Class bookings by leisure travellers.
“We’re seeing a shift in booking trends, with more leisure passengers opting for our premium cabins and planning travel well in advance. This is compared to the last two years where more corporate travellers were opting for our premium cabins, and they tend to book later than leisure travellers who book well in advance. This trend is likely to continue into 2025 as our popular destinations like Dubai, Australia, and emerging hotspots like Bali show robust early bookings.”
Emirates operates a double daily service from Dublin served by state-of-the-art Boeing 777s, each of which can carry 360 passengers and 25 tonnes of cargo.
Emirates supports Irish businesses by featuring products like Keogh’s Crisps, Killowen Yogurt, Bailey’s Original Irish Cream Liquor and VOYA into its global offering. Dublin company Botany Weavers supplies Emirates with onboard textiles such as seat and curtain fabrics as well as carpet for many of its aircraft.
Onboard every Emirates flight passengers can enjoy an unmatched inflight experience with up to 6,500 channels on the award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice. This year, ice includes the addition of Spotify, allowing Irish passengers to stream their favourite music.
Passengers flying from Ireland now have even more options to enjoy Emirates’ new Premium Economy Class, offering an elevated travel experience on routes to exciting destinations such as Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Auckland, Melbourne, and Mumbai.
The Premium Economy cabin features spacious cream leather seats, a deeper recline, and raised cushioned leg rests for ultimate comfort. Passengers can also savour premium dining experiences with locally inspired menus.
This year, Emirates has introduced the Airbus A350 to its fleet. While not currently available on Irish routes, Irish passengers can still experience the A350’s wider cabins and enhanced onboard features when connecting through Dubai to destinations served by this next-generation aircraft.