Dubai: More than 100 Indian and Emirati employees at Emirates Group joined hands to commemorate India’s 68th Republic Day on Thursday. The employees, who represent different backgrounds and specialities, lined up in a ‘68’ formation to mark the special occasion.
“We wanted to find a unique way to celebrate with the people of India on this significant day. The UAE is home to more than two million Indians who have become an integral part of this country’s history and growth. We are proud to see colleagues come together from different parts of the organisation to send this special message, which is a fitting tribute to the strong relationship between the UAE and India,” said Ahmad Khoury, Emirates senior vice-president, Commercial Operations (West Asia and Indian Ocean).
Emirates’ partnership with India goes back 31 years when the airline first launched its operations to Delhi and Mumbai in 1985. Today, the Emirates Group employs over 14,000 Indian nationals in a variety of key positions within the organisation, including flight operations, engineering, ground services, commercial and outstations. This number represents 21 per cent of the group’s work force.
Indian employees of the group, who come from the nine Indian gateways representing their home cities, shared a message on the occasion in a video posted on the official YouTube channel of Emirates. They wished fellow Indians a happy Republic Day. Best wishes also came from Emirati employees featured in the short clip, which showed staff forming a ‘68’ formation in time-lapse, in front of an A380 Emirates plane. Employees also held large flags of the UAE and India in front of the formation, arranged at Dubai International Airport.
Emirates operates 170 weekly flights to nine destinations in India.
