Emirates strengthens commercial leadership for next growth phase

Dubai: In a move highlighting its ongoing growth trajectory and strategic readiness for global expansion, Emirates has announced five new senior appointments to its commercial leadership team.

The newly created roles, including Senior Vice President, Network Passenger Sales Development, and multiple Vice President positions for regional clusters, are designed to support the airline’s ambitious plans to scale up its network, fleet, and products.

This restructuring is designed to drive integrated performance across various markets and segments, while strengthening corporate relationships to enhance long-term passenger growth and revenue, Emirates stated in a statement.

According to the airline’s Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Adnan Kazim, the appointments come at a ‘pivotal moment’ for Emirates. “This period of dynamic growth calls for leaders with the right commercial know-how and the thinking to navigate our complex and evolving industry landscape, so that we can capitalise on emerging opportunities,” he said.

The new appointments include Matthew Scott as Senior Vice President of the Network Passenger Sales Development team, and the promotion of two Emiratis: Abdulla Al Olama to VP Regional Clusters for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Rashid Alardha to VP Regional Clusters Sub-Saharan Africa.

The airline also appointed Flavio Ghiringhelli as VP for South and Central Europe and Pierfrancesco Carino as VP for West and North Europe Clusters. The leadership changes are part of a broader trend of strategic adjustments at Emirates.

Over the past few years, the airline has been on a strong growth path, marked by several key appointments and related changes.

For the financial year 2024-25, The Emirates Group – the Dubai-based owner of the airline - reported a record profit before tax of Dh22.7 billion, marking an 18 per cent increase from the previous year and making it the world’s most profitable aviation group in that period. 

These new initiatives have included extensive workforce expansion plans to support its growing fleet, significant investments in new aircraft orders, and a focus on expanding its network and product offerings, such as the introduction of a new Premium Economy cabin.