Emirates reports strong forward bookings for 2024

Emirates expects growth in outbound travel from the UK this year after recording strong forward booking figures.

The airline said Dubai has been performing particularly well, with increased passenger numbers also logged across the Far East and the Indian Ocean.

All UK departure points have recorded “healthy growth”, but Glasgow and Newcastle are at the top of the list with growth of 66% and 56% respectively.

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Emirates reintroduced its A380 service to Glasgow in 2023 to meet demand for inbound and outbound travel.

As well as the growth in outbound travel identified in the forward booking data, Emirates has also suggested that the UK will see a “strong rise” in inbound travel.

Bookings for Emirates flights from Hong Kong to the UK have risen 15-fold (1556%) year on year, with notable growth also recorded for travel to the UK from South Africa (up 53%), Thailand (up 46%), Malaysia (up 29%), Pakistan (up 16%) and Australia (up 10%).

London, which is one of the most popular routes in Emirates’ network, hosts 82 weekly flights across Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The fleet is a mix of Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft.

Demand has also grown on the Dubai to Glasgow route, with forward bookings up by 51% year on year in 2024.

Meanwhile, the airline is continuing to roll out its Premium Economy offering through a multi-billion dollar retrofit programme.

The seats have performed particularly well for inbound and outbound travel between the United Arab Emirates and the UK, with the Australia and New Zealand routes also seeing a growth in interest.