Goeing Boeing,
If paying money to the government is tax; EK paid US$100million last year. The reason they made money is because the employees have worked harder; just like at BA and Virgin. EK is a low cost airline unencumbered by unionistion. This can suck for the employees but it is the true reason we are at a competitive advantage.
Our revenue/employee has increased from US$220,000 to $300,000 over the last 5 years. If you want a right riveting read check out the full report on the EK website. Before you slag the auditors, they are Price-Waterhouse-Coopers. Then try and find Quantas' financial stats on the web. It might be interesting to see how they would do with the same open skies policy in Oz as exists in Dubai.
As to the yanks, since 2001 they have received 'US$7billion in direct assistance and many billions more in indirect aid' according to the US Goverment Accounting Office.
Shame we didn't get the $7 billion in aid coz the profit share would have been worth about 5 years. So the old joke is true 'about airline CEOs being the whining noise when the engines have been turned off.' I always thought it was the APU!
Ghost
Out of interest, this came from a US Magazine, interviewing the EK chiefs:
“A couple of comparisons on costs: our figures show that Emirates’ operating costs in 2004, excluding our freighter operation, were 8.5 cents per seat mile.
In comparison, Continental and American Airlines unit costs were 9.7 cents per seat mile. United Airlines was marginally higher, and Delta was way up at 12.1 cents per seat mile. All were significantly higher than Emirates.
Emirates’ unit costs are more akin to a low cost carrier Southwest Airlines, whose unit costs were 7.8 cents per seat mile. So, how to explain our low cost base? Well, compared to U.S. carriers, one key difference appears to be in our payroll costs. In 2004, Emirates’ payroll costs were 1.6 cents per seat mile. In comparison, major carriers in the United States, including Southwest, spent roughly twice that amount on staff, at around 3.2 to 3.4 cents per seat mile"
As to open skies the Economist said:
'Emirates Airline has played a crucial part in Dubai's development. From the start, Dubai has run an open-skies approach, welcoming any foreign airline that wants to fly in competition with Emirates.' They left out coz if they get open access to your market they'll kill you!'