Emirates elevating aviation excellence and supporting tourism growth

Emirates was named 'Best Airline Worldwide' at the Business Traveler Middle East Awards 2024. What sets Emirates' services apart to stay competitive in the aviation industry?

Majid Al Falasi, Emirates’ country manager in Vietnam

Emirates stays competitive in the global aviation by offering an unparalleled blend of comfort, luxury, and innovative services. The airline's fleet, which includes the Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, is designed to provide exceptional comfort across all classes. First Class passengers enjoy private suites, while Business and Economy Class travellers benefit from ergonomic seating and ample legroom.

One of the standout features of Emirates is its award-winning inflight entertainment system, known as ice, which offers over 6,500 channels of movies, TV shows, music, and games, ensuring passengers remain entertained throughout their journey. The airline is also renowned for its exceptional service, with multilingual cabin crews.

Passengers can enjoy gourmet dining options tailored to various dietary needs, along with exclusive amenities such as the A380 Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa for First Class travellers.

Emirates' extensive global network, supported by 161 codeshares, interline, and intermodal rail partners, allows seamless connectivity to over 1650 cities worldwide. This ensures that passengers have flexible travel schedules and easy connections, making their travel experience smooth and hassle-free.

Moreover, Emirates consistently invests in the latest technologies and innovations to enhance the customer experience. For instance, we are retrofitting over 191 aircraft with the latest interiors, reflecting its commitment to maintaining a leading position in the industry. These factors collectively ensure that Emirates remains at the forefront of the aviation market, recognised for its high standards of service, comfort, and continuous innovation.

What have been the key achievements for Emirates since its entry into the Vietnamese market?

Since our entry into the Vietnamese market, Emirates has continued to support the tourism flow in and out of Vietnam through its operations. Our significant contribution to the market does not stop at helping to increase the influx of tourists to Vietnam, but we also support Vietnam’s economy and trade by shipping cargo and essential commodities between the country and key markets in our global network.

In 2023, Emirates SkyCargo facilitated the import of over 7,750 tonnes and the export of 14,200 tonnes of goods from Vietnam, enabling local businesses to reach international markets with products ranging from general cargo to specialised commodities like pharmaceuticals and fresh produce. This extensive cargo operation underscores our commitment to bolstering Vietnam's connectivity with global markets.

Moreover, our introduction of a second daily flight between Dubai and Ho Chi Minh City, starting from January 2025, will mark another key milestone in Vietnam. This additional service is strategically scheduled to accommodate the increased demand surrounding the Lunar New Year period next year. This expansion underscores Emirates' commitment to the Vietnamese market and reflects our dedication to meeting the rising interest in international travel to and from big cities like Ho Chi Minh City.

Emirates also aligns with Vietnam’s tourism strategy and further contributes to a sustainable aviation, and offers services that cater to diverse traveller needs, including those from Muslim-majority countries. Emirates' strong presence in predominantly Muslim regions facilitates the flow of Muslim tourists to Vietnam, contributing to the country’s goal of diversifying its tourist demographics.

How is Emirates supporting Vietnam’s tourism growth, particularly in attracting high-spending tourists and business travellers?

Emirates attracts high-spending tourists through its unparalleled luxury and comfort. The airline’s fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s provides exceptional amenities, including luxurious First-Class suites and top-tier Business Class services. These premium offerings appeal to high-spending travellers, who contribute significantly to tourism revenue when visiting Vietnam.

Emirates also plays a crucial role in facilitating convenient connections for tourists from key source markets. With its extensive global network, Emirates links Vietnam to top markets such as Europe, the Middle East, and North America. The airline’s seamless connections through Dubai enable travellers from these regions to reach Vietnam with ease, enhancing the country’s accessibility to high-value tourists.

Emirates’ Premium Economy and Economy Class range of amenity kits are complimentary for customers on long-haul flights

In addition, Emirates caters to business professionals. Dubai’s status as a prominent business hub, coupled with Emirates’ excellent connectivity, facilitates travel for business travellers. This, in turn, promotes business tourism to Vietnam, as these travellers often seek opportunities and connections in the region.

Lastly, Emirates enhances the overall travel experience with exceptional service, including multilingual cabin crew and award-winning inflight entertainment. This commitment to quality ensures that both Vietnamese and international travellers have a memorable journey, further enhancing Vietnam’s reputation as a desirable travel destination.

How does Emirates see the potential for sustainable tourism development in Vietnam?

Emirates recognises the significant potential for sustainable tourism development in Vietnam, aligning with the country's strategy of developing green tourism with a vision towards 2030. Emirates supports this vision by promoting sustainable practices within its own operations and in partnership with other players in the industry.

We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint, with initiatives such as implementing fuel-efficient aircraft and optimising flight routes to minimise emissions. Additionally, Emirates actively engages with destinations to enhance their sustainability efforts, including our latest initiative of uplifting SAF on our flights departing from Amsterdam Schiphol, Singapore Changi and London Heathrow airports.

What specific initiatives are in place at Emirates and in Dubai to promote eco-friendly travel and reduce environmental impact?

We understand that the positive impact we have on our customers and communities is closely tied to our stewardship of natural resources. That’s why we are committed to transforming our operations and supply chain to connect the world in a more sustainable way. We have invested billions of dollars to fly a young and efficient wide-body aircraft fleet, which helps to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

In partnership with industry leaders, we are pushing the boundaries of aviation technology to make long-haul flying more sustainable. Our commitment to this cause is further demonstrated by our pledge of $200 million to fund research and development of innovative solutions for sustainable aviation.

Each cozy sustainable blanket is made from 28 recycled plastic bottles

Emirates’ environmental efforts are focused on three areas. First is reducing emissions, and by operating a young and efficient fleet, Emirates has reduced its carbon footprint, cutting 151,000 tonnes of CO₂ in 2023-24 through green operating procedures.

Secondly, Emirates reduces waste and conserves resources through initiatives like its Closed Loop recycling programme, digital boarding passes and menus, and a vertical farming facility that saves 95 per cent more water than traditional methods.

Thirdly, Emirates supports global wildlife preservation, actively combating illegal wildlife trade through partnerships and training, while also maintaining a conservation reserve that protects critical desert habitats and endangered species.

Emirates and United sign new agreement to expand market presence Emirates and United signed a historic commercial agreement on September 19 that will enhance each airline’s network and give their customers easier access to hundreds of new destinations within the United States and around the world.

Emirates SkyCargo and United Cargo announce landmark agreement Emirates SkyCargo and United Cargo signed an MoU that follows on the heels of the new broader historic commercial agreement between two of the largest global airlines. This coordination will deliver benefits to air freight customers of both companies around the world.

Emirates recycles over 500,000kg of plastic and glass in a year Emirates has recycled more than 500,000kg of plastic and glass over the course of 2022 by collecting discarded bottles from its planes for repurposing. This is almost the same weight as a fully loaded Emirates flagship A380 aircraft.