In the year 2000, the Sheikh Rashid Terminal opened, increasing the capacity at Dubai International to 22 million passengers a year. As demand and capacity soared, so did investment and revenue.

Revenues rose strongly through the mid‑2000s, with profitability generally in the billions of dirhams, albeit sensitive to fuel prices and macroeconomic cycles.

This was also the year it signed up for seven Airbus A380s with options for five more at the Farnborough Air Show.

By 2004, Emirates was a well-known brand, and it made greater waves when it made a £100 million deal with Arsenal. This deal would give it naming rights to its new stadium for 15 years and shirt sponsorship for eight years, starting 2006.

In 2005, the airline flew into the aviation history books by putting in an order for 42 Boeing 777s, the largest order at the time. The deal was worth $9.7 billion.

By 2007, it launched the $120 million Emirates Flight Catering business.

And when 2008 hit and brought the global financial crisis, as even financial institutions struggled to survive, Emirates Group remained profitable and launched what we now know as Terminal 3. The Emirates‑only terminal saw 500,000 passengers fly out within the first month of operation.

Emirates spent the next decade cementing its position as one of the world’s largest and most profitable airlines. Revenues exceeded Dh80 billion by the mid-decade, driven by expanded long-haul connectivity, strong cargo operations, and a growing fleet of A380s and Boeing 777s. The airline received numerous awards for service and network reach, too. However, rising fuel prices, geopolitical tensions, and market saturation began to temper profit growth towards the end of the decade, with profits dipping below Dh3 billion in some years.

In 2012, it partnered with Qantas offering customers exclusive benefits.

By 2014, things had begun to look up, Emirates was named the world’s “Most valuable airline brand”, and the Middle East’s most valuable brand by Brand Finance, with an estimated value of $3.7 billion.

Recognition came quickly and repeatedly to Emirates; in 2016, it was named the World’s Best Airline and received the 12th consecutive award for best In‑flight Entertainment at Skytrax World Airline Awards 2016.

By 2017, it had gained a partner in flydubai – Dubai’s budget carrier – which meant a  codeshare agreement. And it launched the best-in-class First Class private suites, inspired by Mercedes Benz, and introduced by TV celebrity and motoring expert, Jeremy Clarkson.

Before Covid started to spread around, the airline invested in 30 Boeing 787‑9 aircraft worth $8.8 billion. And a $16 billion-worth Airbus A350 order.

The decade began with one of the greatest turbulences in aviation history — the Covid-19 pandemic. Emirates suspended passenger operations for weeks in 2020, reporting a loss for the first time in over 30 years.