The praise came from a senior Emirates official as he addressed more than 130 agents and travel partners during the airline’s ‘Down Under In Dubai’ mega famil, attended by Traveltalk.
Speaking to more than 130 Aussie agents and travel partners, Mr Nabil Sultan, Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales & Country Management, Emirates, said the famil invitation was to thank travel partners for their contribution and support.
“We’ve been operating Emirates for the last 40 years and of course we started flying to Australia almost three decades ago.
“I think without your efforts and hard work, Emirates probably would not be where it is today. We’re definitely grateful for all your support.”
Mr Sultan revealed more than three million passengers flew with Emirates from Australasia in 2024-2025, making them the second largest international operator out of Australia.
Above: (LtoR): Dean Cleaver, Regional Sales Manager, Emirates; Nabil Sultan, EVP, Passenger Sales & Country Management, Emirates; Shahab Shayan, Regional Director Asia Pacific, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism; Orhan Abbas, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations (Far East), Emirates
“However, most Australians seem to transit through Dubai and then travel beyond. So the objective of having you here is to actually showcase Dubai to you.
“It is a fast paced, growing city and things are really happening here in terms of expansion, in terms of infrastructure, roads, commerce and trade.
“We hope that you can convince your clients that when they’re travelling to Europe, the Middle East or Africa to stop here for a few days and experience what Dubai has to offer.”
With Emirates celebrating it’s 40th birthday this year, Mr Sultan was keen to highlight the remarkable progress the airline has made since 1985 when it started with just two planes, calling it a “home grown success story”.
“It was actually the vision of His Highness, Sheik Mohammed, ruler of Dubai, and the fact that he saw a massive opportunity to create something that eventually would connect the whole entire world in Dubai.”
Today Emirates has a fleet of 259 wide-bodied aircraft with 314 more on order, although delivery delays from aircraft manufacturers are hampering the continued expansion of the airline, forcing them to undertake a costly $5 billion retrofitting program.
Mr Sultan also revealed that having doubled its fleet size in five years and with flights to more than 150 destinations, Emirates had now outgrown its current hub at Dubai International Airport.
He said a new $35 billion airport, Al Maktoum International Airport, also known as Dubai World Central, would be up and running by 2032, becoming the world’s largest and most sophisticated airport, eventually servicing 260 million passengers a year by 2060.
“Let’s hope that this trip becomes really beneficial for you, both personally and for your businesses. Hopefully when you get back you can push Emirates and destination Dubai,” he concluded.
