As both the Chairman and Group Managing Director have stated, it was indeed a remarkable, record-breaking year.

Emirates has not deviated from its basic plan which started in October 1985 - to become a global airline, to be profitable through growth and to be the best airline on every route we fly. Our value for money approach to the airline business coupled with intense attention to the macro and micro has again won us more than 20 awards in the past year.

We believe successful sides are the ones who can keep all their star players while recruiting others to adopt the same winning ways ... at Emirates we have been fortunate to maintain our position at the top of the Premier League by doing just that. This year we expect to be among the five most profitable international airlines in the world - and the 20th largest.

We are now on target to have a fleet of more than 100 aircraft by 2010 serving some 80 cities around the world.

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