The Emirates Group said first-half pretax profit fell 66% to AED 4.1 billion, with regional disruption and higher fuel costs weighing on results at the aviation group.
The figures cover April 1 to Sept. 30, the first half of the 2026-27 financial year. Revenue declined 12% to AED 66.2 billion from AED 75.4 billion, while profit after tax fell 66% to AED 3.6 billion. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization dropped 41% to AED 12.5 billion.
Emirates airline posted AED 3.7 billion in pretax profit, down 68%, and revenue of AED 56.9 billion, down 13%. It carried 21.8 million passengers, 22% fewer than a year earlier. On Sept. 30, the airline was operating 91% of its pre-disruption network, serving 150 airports in 78 countries and territories.
Fuel costs before hedging climbed 60% even though fuel uplift was 12% lower. AED 7.1 billion in fuel risk-management gains narrowed the net cost increase to 13%, and fuel accounted for 34% of the airline’s operating costs. Emirates Airline and Group Chairman and Chief Executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said global jet fuel prices had doubled from a year earlier. He called the period “demanding” and said the group entered the second half with “measured optimism.”
Emirates SkyCargo revenue advanced 52% while the division transported 1% less cargo, or 1.2 million tonnes. The group said reduced airfreight availability and interruptions to marine transport shifted shipper demand toward air cargo.
dnata recorded AED 410 million in pretax profit, down 51%, on revenue of AED 11 billion, down 7%. The group said dnata’s international operations partly offset weaker airline and travel activity in the UAE and wider Gulf region.
Cash totaled AED 54.1 billion on Sept. 30, compared with AED 59.6 billion on March 31. The group said it used cash reserves for aircraft pre-delivery payments and debt obligations. The group paid Investment Corporation of Dubai, its owner, AED 2 billion still due from a dividend declared for 2025-26 that totaled AED 3.5 billion. Headcount was 128,237 at the end of September, 2% lower than at the end of March.
