Today marks 20 years since Emirates launched its first service from New Zealand on August 2, 2003.
Since then, the airline says it has carried 16 million passengers on 49,000 services between Dubai and Aotearoa, as well as becoming a major sponsor of some of the country's most iconic sporting teams and events.
Emirates is celebrating the milestone just months after Cathay Pacific celebrated 40 years of service to New Zealand.
Back in 2003, there were two inaugural Emirates NZ flights - the first via Sydney on a Boeing 777-300ER and the second on an Airbus A330 from Melbourne. The airline's chairman HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed AlMaktoum flew in and appeared in front of cameras with Prime Minister Helen Clark to mark the occasion.
Currently, the airline flies Auckland-Dubai daily and Christchurch-Sydney-Dubai daily, all on A380 aircraft.
Emirates first started using A380 aircraft on New Zealand services in 2009. It is currently the only airline operating the iconic double-decker plane to and from the country, although Singapore Airlines will reintroduce its A380 to Aotearoa in November.
Earlier this year, New Zealand became the first country to exclusively operate Emirates new four-class A380 on all services.
"We're immensely proud of the work we've done in New Zealand during this time, exporting the country's vast bounty of home-grown produce to the rest of the world and, critically, keeping New Zealand globally connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"As demand continues to grow, we look forward to continuing and growing our services to New Zealand, offering those travelling to the country a chance to experience our world-class product, and delivering substantial benefits to the economy through travel connections, cargo and inbound seats."
Emirates was established in 1985 and quickly grew into the largest airline in the Middle East. It is now the tenth largest airline in the world with a fleet size of over 264 aircraft it operates on flights to over 150 destinations across the globe.
Its Dubai-Auckland service is its longest route in the world, while Christchurch is the smallest city on its network to be serviced by the flagship A380.
In 2004, Emirates became the naming sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand and was a partner on the 2011 Rugby World Cup, delivering the trophy to Aotearoa prior to the event as well as the teams.
This year, Emirates was ranked the fourth best airline in the world by Skytrax and the 10th by AirlineRatings.com.
