Emirates’ inflight catering bill rises 12% to Dh5.3 billion
Dubai: Emirates spent Dh5.316 billion on inflight catering and services during the financial year ended March 31, 2026, an increase of Dh570 million from the previous year, according to the airline’s annual financial statements. The figure was 12 per cent higher than the Dh4.746 billion recorded a year earlier and works out to an average of about Dh443 million a month, or Dh14.6 million a day. On…
Emirates' inflight catering and services expenses climbed 12% in the 2025-26 financial year, reaching Dh5.316 billion, according to the airline’s annual financial reports. This marked a Dh570 million rise from the previous year, when the company spent Dh4.746 billion on the same category. The total expense represented about 4.9% of Emirates’ overall operating costs of Dh108.129 billion for the period.
Inflight catering and services ranked seventh among Emirates’ largest operating expenses, behind jet fuel, employee costs, depreciation, sales and marketing, handling, and aircraft maintenance. The latter alone cost Dh6.03 billion, slightly edging out the catering and services expense. The increase in catering costs was more rapid than the airline’s overall cost growth, which rose by 2% during the year.
Meanwhile, fuel expenses declined to Dh31.2 billion from Dh32.6 billion. Emirates expanded its global network and enhanced passenger experience during the year, adding four new destinations and completing 91 aircraft cabin refurbishments as part of a Dh5 billion retrofit programme. The airline carried 53.2 million passengers and reported record revenue of Dh130.9 billion and profit after tax of Dh19.7 billion for the year ending March 31, 2026.
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