As Sheikh Ahmed has stated, it was another encouraging year for the airline, tracking our strategy of profitable, sustained growth. Passenger fleet numbers grew to 93 aircraft with the addition of 12 Boeing 777-300ERs, taking the fleet size in total to 102 inclusive of the nine freighters.

Much of the increase in production (available seat kilometres) was allocated to strengthening those routes which offered the greatest return commensurate with the management's strategy of managing the effects of fuel-cost growth. Nevertheless, among other cities, Nagoya was opened in June, Beijing in September, and Tunis and Bangalore in October.