The Dubai-based Emirates airline has marked its 20th anniversary of successful operations, announces a statement of the airline issued here on Wednesday.
It said that carrying some 12.5 million passenger and 838,000 tonnes of cargo last year, Emirates is the world's second most profitable and one of the 20 largest international carriers.
The airline today operates close to 200 scheduled flights per day around its network, which covers 77 cities in 54 countries - an average of one flight taking off or landing every eight minutes. By 2012, Emirates expects to carry 33 million passengers annually on some 150 aircraft.
Emirates Chairman Shaikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Naktoum said in a statement that there was a sense that the airline had come of age and with its solid grounding ready to take on even bigger challenges as a leading player in global air transport.
He credited the airline's performance to having a strong customer focus.
Emirates currently employs 15,800 staff and operates to 77 cities in 54 countries via its fleet of 81 wide-bodied jets. New destinations to be introduced in coming months include Hamburg and Beijing.