Annual Report 2008-2009 - Emirates.com

In Dubai, Dnata Travel Services opened its 50th
outlet; in Kabul, we opened Afghanistan’s first
ever one-stop shop, Najm Travel.
Our Group Services again played an important
role in supporting the world’s seventh largest
international airline as well as the other businesses
within the Emirates Group. Some impressive
figures include - the Emirates Group Medical
Services cared for more than 9,400 patients
every month and; the Recruitment team handled
related processes for more than 7,000 staff.
Records were created elsewhere too. Emirates
Flight Catering went from strength to strength,
reaching a milestone of more than 100,000 meals
in a single day – the largest quantity of any airline
caterer at one location. Despite the staggering
volumes, the individual care lavished on every
dish enabled the company to boast of 110 airline
clients and 99,000 flights served in the year.
Emirates-CAE Flight Training expanded its
customer base by 25 per cent and is now the
leading flight training facility in the region. We
began simulator training operations at our new
facility in Bengaluru, India with an A320 and a
Boeing 737 simulator.
The close cooperation with Whitbread Plc
continues with some 65 Costa outlets in the
UAE, the largest number in any country outside
the United Kingdom. The first Premier Inn
opened in Dubai in April 2008, the second in
May 2009 and our third is due to be completed
in November 2009.
Our other successful culinary ventures include
Deli Express in Dubai offering quality take-away
food, and two more Left Bank restaurant/bars,
reflecting the popularity of the initial one at
the Madinat Jumeirah. At the high-end of the
culinary marketplace, MMI opened two chic Le
Clos wine cellars, offering rare vintage for sale,
at Dubai International airport - just one of the
unique initiatives which helped MMI achieve a
20 per cent revenue growth.
Further afield, our partnership with the airport
authorities created X’ian Dnata Airport Services.
It won plaudits for handling 41,000 flights in
its first full year and gained much respect for
providing support for relief efforts after the
Sichuan earthquake.
Over the last five years, Dnata has grown its
revenues by some 10 per cent compound, a
comfortable growth rate for us. We expect to
maintain solid growth, albeit in single digit
figures, for the coming few years.
It’s been a good year all round but we do recognise
that all our enterprises are facing tougher times
in the coming financial year. At Dnata and our
associated companies we intend to concentrate on
two important elements. Firstly, every dirham is
spent wisely; costs are trimmed; and productivity
improved for the customer. Secondly, to provide
bespoke services that meet customer demands, for
a high-class product of international standard.
With 50 outstanding years behind us, and the
best team of people in the business, we will
remain a formidable force for the next 50 years.
Gary Chapman
29
There are 65 Costa outlets
in the UAE
Dnata handled a record 244,516
aircraft movements at Dubai
International airport