Long-Haul Emirates Squeezes Profits From One of Its Shortest Routes
The Dubai-based airline’s two-hour hop to the Saudi capital of Riyadh has become a favorite of commuting expat consultants.
An Airbus SE A380-800, operated by Emirates, on display at the Saudi Air Show in Riyadh.
Photographer: Ryan Olson/Bloomberg
Over 35 years, Emirates has built itself into the world’s largest airline, its Airbus double-deckers and Boeing 777s raining down on Dubai around the clock from every corner of the world and helping turn the desert outpost into a vibrant metropolis. But one of its most profitable routes is a two-hour hop to neighboring Saudi Arabia.
Each Sunday morning, the departure hall in Concourse B at Dubai International Airport comes alive with the buzz of business travelers kitted out with dark suits, compact suitcases, and white wireless earbuds. Long lines form at the start of every week for EK 819, the most popular of four daily Emirates flights that pack in a total of about 1,600 seats. The destination is Riyadh, and the cargo is business consultants who live in Dubai on weekends but work for the Saudi government during the week in sectors ranging from education to transport to energy.