Emirates’ aircraft flew around the world more than 18,000 times in 2013, logging over 751 million kilometres, according to figures released by the Dubai-based airline.

Taking the earth’s circumference at the equator as 40,075 kilometres, this translates into the equivalent of 18,753 circumnavigations, Emirates said.

A total of 164,635 flights were conducted, carrying over 43 million passengers.

Emirates Flight Catering loaded nearly 46 million meals aboard Emirates’ flights departing Dubai. A particularly memorable day for the catering team was December 20, 2013 when a staggering 157,308 meals were produced, breaking their previous record of 147,722 on March 1, 2013.

“2013 has been another impressive year for the airline. We continue to raise the bar in the industry with investment, innovation and the expansion of our services globally, bringing unrivalled value for money to the millions who travel with us,” said Tim Clark, president Emirates Airline.

Throughout the year, the airline has received 24 new aircraft – a combination of Airbus A380s, Boeing 777s and 777 freighters, while nine new passenger routes were launched.

Hanoi, Chicago, Kano in Nigeria and Quito in Ecuador have been launched as cargo only destinations.

The first major milestone of 2013 was January’s opening of Concourse A, the world’s first purpose built A380 concourse. The giant building with 20 A380 gates is over 800m long and houses the largest airline lounges in the world.

“We were bold ordering this double-decker when we did, and in the numbers that we did, but my goodness, it has proved to be a gamble worth taking,” said Clark. “Our customers love it, and it is one of the most efficient aircraft to operate today in terms of fuel burn per passenger.”

The most headline grabbing news of 2013 was the dramatic announcement at November’s Dubai Airshow. Held for the first time at the emerging aviation city of Dubai World Central, Emirates ordered 200 aircraft - 150 Boeing 777Xs and 50 A380s. At $99 billion, it was the largest order in civil aviation history. – TradeArabia News Service