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92-466: The Emirates Airline / Emirates Group head office, Emirates Aviation College and Dubai Airport terminals 1 & 3 are in Garhoud. Daallo Airlines has its head office in the airport Free Zone.The Al Garhoud bridge is the major part of this which crosses Dubai Creek and it connects with both communities of Deira and Sharjah and the district of Bur Dubai .The bridge is 52.5 feet, or 16 meters, above

184-469: A tropical rainforest climate ( Af ). Colombo's climate is hot throughout the year. From March to April the average high temperature is around 31 °C (87.8 °F). The only major change in the Colombo weather occurs during the monsoon seasons from April to June and September to November, when heavy rains occur. Colombo sees little relative diurnal range of temperature, although this is more marked in

276-709: A GDP (PPP) of $ 122 billion or 40% of the GDP, making it the most important aspect of the Sri Lankan economy. The per capita income of the Colombo Metro area stood at US$ 8623 and purchasing power per capita of $ 25,117, making it one of the most prosperous regions in South Asia. The Colombo Metropolitan (CM) area is the most important industrial, commercial and administrative centre in Sri Lanka. A major share of

368-589: A Municipal Council as a means of training the local population in self-governance . The Legislative Council of Ceylon constituted the Colombo Municipal Council in 1865 and the Council met for the first time on 16 January 1866. At the time, the population of the region was around 80,000. During the time they were in control of Colombo, the British were responsible for much of the planning of

460-430: A category of words that exclusively belonged to early Sinhala. It lists naramba (to see) and kolamba (fort or harbour) as deriving from the indigenous Vedda language . Kolamba may also be the source of the name of the commercial capital Colombo. Traveller Ibn Battuta who visited the island in the 14th century, referred to it as Kalanpu . Arabs, whose prime interests were trade, began to settle in Colombo around

552-524: A chocolate brown suit, featuring pinstripes, with a cream shirt and caramel, honey, and red tie. Both male and female pursers wear this chocolate brown color, but with no red featured. Since its formation in 1985, Emirates aircraft have carried a section of the United Arab Emirates flag on the tail fins, a calligraphy version of the logo in Arabic on the engines, and the "Emirates" logo on

644-631: A commercial hub. In 1638 the Dutch signed a treaty with King Rajasinha II of Kandy which assured the king assistance in his war against the Portuguese in exchange for a monopoly of the island's major trade goods. The Portuguese resisted the Dutch and the Kandyans but were gradually defeated in their strongholds beginning in 1639. The Dutch captured Colombo in 1656 after an epic siege, at the end of which

736-530: A ferry service to Tuticorin , India. Ferry services between the two countries have been revived after more than 20 years. Ratmalana Airport is the city's airport, located 15 km (9.3 mi) south of the city centre. It commenced operating in 1935 and was the country's first international airport until it was replaced by Bandaranaike Airport in 1967. Ratmalana Airport now primarily services domestic flights, aviation training and international corporate flights. The two World Trade Centre towers used to be

828-578: A large area of the kingdom and the Sinhalese King Mayadunne established a new kingdom at Sitawaka, a domain in the Kotte kingdom. Before long he annexed much of the Kotte kingdom and forced the Portuguese to retreat to Colombo, which was repeatedly besieged by Mayadunne and the later kings of Sitawaka, forcing them to seek reinforcement from their major base in Goa , India. Following the fall of

920-476: A long history. Colombo has many of the prominent public schools in the country, some of them government-owned and others private. Most of the prominent schools in the city date back to the 1800s when they were established during the British colonial rule, such as the Royal College Colombo established in 1835. Certain urban schools of Sri Lanka have some religious alignment; this is partly due to

1012-577: A mere 93 Portuguese survivors were given safe conduct out of the fort. Although the Dutch (e.g., Rijcklof van Goens ) initially restored the captured area back to the Sinhalese kings, they later refused to turn them over and gained control over the island's richest cinnamon lands including Colombo which then served as the capital of the Dutch maritime provinces under the control of the Dutch East India Company until 1796. Although

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1104-408: A mix of numerous ethnic groups, mainly Sinhalese , Sri Lankan Moor and Sri Lankan Tamils , . There are also small communities of people with Chinese , Portuguese Burgher , Dutch Burgher , Malay and Indian origins living in the city, as well as numerous European expatriates. Colombo is the most populous city in Sri Lanka, with 642,163 people living within the city limits. In 1866 the city had

1196-540: A mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft and is one of the few airlines to operate an all-wide-body aircraft fleet (excluding Emirates Executive). As of August 2024 , Emirates is the world's largest Airbus A380 operator with 123 aircraft in service. Since its introduction, the Airbus A380 has become an integral part of the Emirates fleet , especially on long-haul, high-density routes. Emirates

1288-547: A population of around 80,000. Religion in Colombo Municipality area (2012) Colombo is a charter city , with a mayor-council government . The mayor and council members are elected through local government elections held once in five years. For the past 50 years the city had been ruled by the United National Party (UNP), a right leaning party, whose business-friendly policies resonate with

1380-572: A profit every year, except its second year, and the growth has never fallen below 20% a year. In its first 11 years, it doubled in size every 3.5 years, and has every four years since. In 2015, Emirates paid dividends worth AED 2.6 billion (US$ 708 million), compared to AED1 billion (US$ 272 million) in 2014. The government has received AED14.6 billion from Emirates since dividends started being paid in 1999 for having provided an initial start-up capital of US$ 10 million and an additional investment of about US$ 80 million at

1472-518: A short time, however, they expelled the Muslim inhabitants of Colombo and began to build a fort in 1517. The Portuguese soon realised that control of Sri Lanka was necessary for the protection of their coastal establishments in India, and they began to manipulate the rulers of the Kotte kingdom to gain control of the area. After skilfully exploiting rivalries within the royal family, they took control of

1564-514: A significant result of the colonial era. These cultural changes were followed by the strengthening of the island's economy. Even today, the influence of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British is visible in Colombo's architecture, names, clothing, food, language and attitudes. Buildings from all three eras stand as reminders of the turbulent past of Colombo. The city and its people show an interesting mix of European clothing and lifestyles together with local customs. Historically, Colombo referred to

1656-479: A treaty with the King of Kotte , Parakramabahu VIII (1484–1518), which enabled them to trade in the island's crop of cinnamon , which lay along with the coastal areas of the island, including in Colombo. As part of the treaty, the Portuguese were given full authority over the coastline in exchange for the promise of guarding the coast against invaders. They were allowed to establish a trading post in Colombo. Within

1748-546: Is St.Paul's Church Milagiriya , one of the oldest churches in Sri Lanka, first built by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the British in 1848. The Cargills & Millers building in Fort is also a protected building of historical significance. Cannons that were once mounted on the rampart of the old fort of Colombo were laid out for observance and prestige at the Green. The colonial styled Galle Face Hotel , known as Asia's Emerald on

1840-822: Is also the title sponsor of the FA Cup , Emirates Cup , and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium . It was the primary shirt sponsor of Chelsea from August 2001 until May 2005 , Paris Saint-Germain (until May 2019 ), and Hamburger SV until June 2020 . In August 2009 the Scottish Junior Football Association announced that Emirates would sponsor its Scottish Cup competition. Emirates is the sponsor of Asian Football Confederation travel and play, in AFC Champions League and AFF Suzuki Cup . In October 2024, human rights groups, including London For Sudan and Action For Sudan, protested

1932-925: Is also the world's largest Boeing 777 operator with 133 aircraft in service. Emirates was founded in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum . On 25 October 1985, Emirates operated its first flight from Dubai to Karachi and Mumbai , using the Airbus A300 B4 and the Boeing 737 both wet-leased from Pakistan International Airlines . In 1986, Emirates added Colombo , Dhaka , Amman and Cairo to its route network. On 3 July 1987, A6-EKA flew from Toulouse to Dubai as Emirates took delivery of its first owned aircraft, an Airbus A310-304 . Flights to Frankfurt commenced via Istanbul , London Gatwick and Malé . This

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2024-545: Is believed to be derived from the classical Sinhala name කොලොන් තොට , கொல்லம் துறைமுகம் Kolon thota , meaning "port on the river Kelani ". Another belief is that the name is derived from the Sinhala name කොල-අඹ-තොට , பெருங்குடல் துறைமுகம் Kola-amba-thota which means 'Harbour with leafy/green mango trees'. This coincides with Robert Knox 's history of the island while he was a prisoner in Kandy. He writes that "On

2116-607: Is more crowded than the Fort area. Pettah's roads are always packed and pavements are full of small stalls selling items from delicious sharbat to shirts . Main Street consists mostly of clothes shops and the crossroads, which are known as Cross-Streets where each of the five streets specialises in a specific business. For example, First Cross Street is mostly electronic goods shops, the Second cellular phones and fancy goods. Most of these businesses are dominated by Muslim traders. At

2208-597: Is one of the most distinctive landmarks of Colombo and was used for centuries by colonists to defend the city. It remains a tourist attraction, hosting regattas , and theatrical events on its shores. The northern and north-eastern border of the city of Colombo is formed by the Kelani River , which meets the sea in a part of the city known as the Modera ( mōdara in Sinhala) which means river delta . Colombo features

2300-626: Is one of the most important temples in Colombo. The temple's architecture demonstrates an eclectic mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese architecture. The Viharamahadevi Park (formerly Victoria Park) is an urban park located next to the National Museum of Colombo and the Town Hall . It is the oldest and largest park in Colombo and features a large Buddha statue. As part of the Urban Regeneration Program of

2392-635: Is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution , the Colombo metropolitan area has a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 in the Municipality . It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the Greater Colombo area which includes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte ,

2484-454: Is the world's fourth-largest airline by scheduled revenue passenger-kilometers flown. It is also the second-largest in terms of freight tonne-kilometers flown. During the mid-1980s, Gulf Air began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result, Emirates was founded on 15 March 1985, with backing from Dubai's royal family and its first two aircraft provided by Pakistan International Airlines . With $ 10 million in start-up capital, it

2576-508: Is to use profit sharing and merit pay as part of its competency-based approach to performance management. In 2023 and 2024, the group awarded its employees hefty bonuses as their share of the company's profits earned in those years. In 2023 employees got 24 weeks of pay as they bonus and in 2024 they received 20 weeks of pay. The airline claims to have lower emissions than other airlines because its fleet has an average fuel burn of fewer than 4 litres for every 100 passenger–kilometers. In 2023,

2668-479: The 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar . Since the 2006–07 season, it has been the primary shirt sponsor of Arsenal (2006 to 2028), AC Milan since the 2010–11 season, Real Madrid since the 2013–14 season, Benfica since the 2015–16 season, Olympique Lyonnais since the 2020–21 season, and Étoile du Sahel since the 2023–24 season. It is also the primary shirt sponsor of the New York Cosmos . Emirates

2760-823: The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road that runs from the Chinese coast to the Upper Adriatic region with its rail connections to Central and Eastern Europe . Colombo has an extensive public transport system based on buses operated both by private operators and the government-owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) . The three primary bus terminals – Bastian Mawatha, Central and the Gunasinghapura Bus Terminals – are in Pettah. Bastian Mawatha handles long-distance services whereas Gunasinghapura and Central handle local services. Train transport in

2852-744: The Emirates Air Line cable car over the River Thames in East London . Since 2015, Emirates has sponsored the England-based Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on the south coast. The airline had £3.5 million worth of plans to paint the landmark red, but after discussion with the residents of Portsmouth and Southsea , Emirates agreed the tower was to be coloured blue and gold, with red lettering of

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2944-874: The Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground , and is the shirt sponsor of Lancashire County Cricket Club . Emirates was also the major sponsor of the Kings XI Punjab (seasons two-four) and Deccan Chargers (season five) the teams of the Indian Premier League , the largest domestic cricket tournament in the world. Emirates was a sponsor of FIFA and the FIFA World Cup , but stopped its sponsorship in early 2015 because of allegations of corruption and bribery within FIFA, as well as FIFA's controversial decision to award

3036-458: The Government of Sri Lanka , many old sites and buildings were revamped into modern public recreational spaces and shopping precincts. These include Independence Memorial Hall Square , Pettah Floating Market and Old Dutch Hospital , among others. Ethnicity in Colombo Municipality area (2012) Colombo is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural city. The population of Colombo is

3128-611: The International Cricket Council . The deal gives Emirates association with all major ICC tournaments, including the 2011, 2015, and 2019 ICC Cricket World Cups, ICC Champions Trophy, and ICC World Twenty20. Emirates is the Twenty20 shirt sponsor of Durham County Cricket Club and holds the naming rights to the Riverside Ground, now known as Emirates Riverside , as well as the naming rights to

3220-626: The Metropolitan Range headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Metropolitan), this also includes the Colombo Crime Division. As with most Sri Lankan cities, the magistrate court handles felony crimes while the district court handles civil cases. As in other large cities around the world, Colombo experiences certain levels of street crime and bribery . Indeed, the corruption extends to

3312-621: The Military headquarters , Naval headquarters ( SLNS Parakrama ), Air Force headquarters ( SLAF Colombo ) and Police national and field force headquarters. Colombo is divided into 15 numbered areas for the purposes of postal services. Within these areas are the suburbs with their corresponding post office. The great majority of Sri Lankan corporations have their head offices in Colombo including Aitken Spence , Ceylinco Corporation , Stassen group of companies, John Keells Holdings , Cargills , Hemas Holdings, SenzMate and Akbar Brothers. Some of

3404-759: The NBA Cup , becoming the Emirates NBA Cup starting in the 2024 season. This deal also will see a Emirates patch come onto NBA referee jerseys In horse racing, Emirates sponsors the Dubai International Racing Carnival. It sponsored the Australian Turf Club 's Autumn and Spring Carnival until 2011, and the Melbourne Cup Carnival from 2003 until 2017. Emirates is also a regular sponsor of

3496-461: The 1980s the national capital of the island was Colombo. During the 1980s plans were made to move the administrative capital to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte and thus move all governmental institutions out of Colombo to make way for commercial activities. As a primary step, the Parliament was moved to a new complex in Kotte, with several ministries and departments also relocated. However, the move

3588-777: The 2012 season, Emirates has sponsored the US Open Series , a six-week summer tennis season leading up to the US Open . Its sponsorship was to run until 2019. Emirates also sponsors Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League , and FC Dallas in Major League Soccer . Since the 2016 season, Emirates is the official airline of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball . Since 2017, Emirates has been

3680-486: The British captured Colombo in 1796, it remained a British military outpost until the Kandyan Kingdom was ceded to them in 1815 and they made Colombo the capital of their newly created crown colony of British Ceylon . Unlike the Portuguese and Dutch before them, whose primary use of Colombo was as a military fort, the British began constructing houses and other civilian structures around the fort, giving rise to

3772-597: The Colombo area also involves the construction of numerous expressway grade arterial road routes. The first of these constructed is the Southern Expressway , which goes from Kottawa , a southern suburb of Colombo, to Matara City in the south of the country. Expressways constructed in the Colombo metropolitan area include the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway , which was opened in October 2013 and

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3864-470: The Colombo orbital bypass Outer Circular Highway ( Arthur C. Clarke Expressway ). The Colombo-Katunayake Expressway (E03) runs from Peliyagoda , a northern suburb of Colombo, to Colombo International Airport and it is linked with one of the major commercial hubs and a major tourist destination of the country, the city of Negombo . An international ferry liner, the Scotia Prince , is conducting

3956-532: The Dubai Airshow. Emirates ordered 90 aircraft, including both versions of the new long-haul jet. In April 2024, Emirates announced its plan to relocate its hub to Al Maktoum Airport when the new airport is fully completed. The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group , which is a subsidiary of the Dubai government's investment company, Investment Corporation of Dubai . The airline has recorded

4048-758: The Emirates Airlines’ sponsorship contract with Arsenal F.C. The rights groups called for the club to discontinue their deal with the airlines, citing the UAE’s role in the Sudan ’s intensifying humanitarian crisis . Emirates has sponsored the Super League Rugby League team, the Warrington Wolves between 2013 and 2017. The multi-year sponsorship cost has been touted as around £300,000 annually. Since 2015, Emirates has been also

4140-462: The Emirates sponsor, for the reason that Portsmouth F.C. (the local football team) is coloured blue and rival football team Southampton F.C. is coloured red. It is now named "Emirates Spinnaker Tower". Emirates sponsors Cricket Australia , Lord's Taverners, and Pro Arch Tournament. Its branding also features on international cricket umpires shirts. Emirates was also an official partner of

4232-665: The Green since 1864, is adjacent to Galle Face Green. The hotel has played host to guests such as the British Royal Family and other royal guests and celebrities. After a stay at the hotel, Princess Alexandra of Denmark commented that "the peacefulness and generosity encountered at the Galle Face Hotel cannot be matched." Also facing Galle Face Green is the Ceylon Inter-Continental Hotel. Education institutions in Colombo have

4324-424: The West, the City of Columbo, so-called from a Tree the Natives call Ambo, (which bears the Mango-fruit) growing in that place; but this never bear fruit, but only leaves, which in their Language is kola and thence they called the Tree Colambo: which the Christians in honour of Christopher Columbus turned to Columbo." The author of the oldest Sinhala grammar, Sidatsangarava, written in the 13th century wrote about

4416-402: The airline announced it would invest $ 200 million over three years to find research and development regarding the reduction of fossil fuels in commercial aviation, including investing in the development of fuel and energy alternatives and solutions. The key trends for Emirates are (as of the financial year ending 31 March): In the 1990s, Emirates launched its first set of commercials all with

4508-415: The airline has unfair advantages and have called for an end to open-skies policies with the UAE as a result. In 2017, Emirates "renewed its aircraft buying spree" and agreed to buy a number of Boeing's 787 Dreamliners for $ 15.1 billion. The Wall Street Journal described the deal as a "painful loss" for Airbus. In 2023, Emirates ordered $ 50 billion of Boeing jets with their sister airline, flyDubai at

4600-469: The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group , which is owned by the government of Dubai 's Investment Corporation of Dubai . It is the largest airline in the Middle East , operating more than 3,600 flights per week from its hub at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport . It operates to more than 150 cities in 80 countries across six continents on its fleet of nearly 250 aircraft. Cargo activities are undertaken by Emirates SkyCargo . Emirates

4692-439: The area around the Fort and Pettah Market which is known for the variety of products available as well as the Khan Clock Tower , a local landmark. At present, it refers to the city limits of the Colombo Municipal Council . More often, the name is used for the Conurbation known as Greater Colombo , which encompasses several Municipal councils including Kotte , Dehiwela and Colombo. Although Colombo lost its status as

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4784-406: The busiest ports in Sri Lanka. Colombo was established primarily as a port city during the colonial era, with an artificial harbour that has been expanded over the years. The Sri Lanka Navy maintains a naval base , SLNS Rangalla , within the harbour. The Port of Colombo handled 3.75 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2008, 10.6% up on 2007 (which itself was 9.7% up on 2006), bucking

4876-441: The capital of Sri Lanka in the 1980s to Sri Jayawardanapura, it continues to be the island's commercial centre. Despite the official capital of Sri Lanka moving to the adjacent Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte, most countries still maintain their diplomatic missions in Colombo. The geography of Colombo consists of both land and water. The city has many canals and, in the heart of the city, the 65-hectare (160-acre) Beira Lake . The lake

4968-609: The city is limited since most trains are meant for transport to and from the city rather than within it and are often overcrowded. However, the Central Bus Stand and Fort Railway Station function as the island's primary hub for bus and rail transport respectively. Up until the 1970s, the city had tram services, which were discontinued. Other means of transport include auto rickshaws (commonly called "three-wheelers") and taxicabs . Three-wheelers are entirely operated by individuals and hardly regulated whilst cab services are run by private companies and are metered. Post-war development in

5060-408: The contract in 2016 . Emirates is the major sponsor of the Emirates Team New Zealand, winners of the 35th America's Cup in sailing. Emirates was a sponsor of the British Formula One (F1) team McLaren in the 2006 season . It was also the official airline sponsor of Formula One from the 2013 season until the 2022 season . It was outbid by rival Qatar Airways for the 2023 season . Since

5152-421: The council liaises with the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) , the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and telephone service providers operating in the country respectively. Colombo was the capital of the coastal areas controlled by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British from the 1700s to 1815 when the British gained control of the entire island following the Kandyan convention . From then until

5244-404: The country's export-oriented manufacturing takes place in the CM area, which is the engine of growth for Sri Lanka. The Western province contributes less than 40% to the GDP and about 80% of industrial value additions although it accounts for only 5.7% of the country's geographic area and 25% of the national population. Given its importance as the primary international gateway for Sri Lanka and as

5336-404: The country, Colombo has the highest degree of infrastructure. Electricity, water and transport to street lights and phone booths are to a considerably good standard. Apart from that, many luxurious hotels, clubs and restaurants are in the city. In recent times there has been an outpour of high-rise condominiums, mainly due to the very high land prices. Colombo Harbour is the largest and one of

5428-419: The current City of Colombo. Initially, they placed the administration of the city under a " Collector ", and John Macdowell of the Madras Service was the first to hold the office. Then, in 1833, the Government Agent of the Western Province was charged with the administration of the city. Centuries of colonial rule had meant a decline of indigenous administration of Colombo and in 1865 the British conceived

5520-412: The drier winter months, where minimum temperatures average 22 °C (71.6 °F). Rainfall in the city averages around 2,500 millimetres (98 in) a year. Galle Face Green is located in the heart of the city along the Indian Ocean coast and is a destination for tourists and residents alike. The Galle Face Hotel is a historic landmark on the southern edge of this promenade. Gangaramaya Temple

5612-449: The eighth century AD mostly because the port helped their business by the way of controlling much of the trade between the Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. It was popularly believed that their descendants comprised the local Sri Lankan Moor community, but their genetics are predominantly South Indian. Portuguese explorers led by Dom Lourenço de Almeida first arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505. During their initial visit they made

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5704-465: The end of Main Street further away from Fort is Sea Street – Sri Lanka's gold market – dominated by Tamil interests. This mile-long street is full of jewellery shops, including the former head office of SriLankan Airlines . The Sri Lanka Police , the main law enforcement agency of the island, liaise with the municipal council but is under the control of the Ministry of Defence of the central government. Policing in Colombo and its suburbs falls within

5796-510: The end of the fiscal year on 31 March 2020, the company employed a total of 59,519 staff, of which 21,789 were cabin crew, 4,313 were flight deck crew, 3,316 were in engineering, 12,627 were listed as other, 5,376 employees were at overseas stations, and 12,098 were at subsidiary companies. The Emirates Group employed a total of 105,730 employees. Emirates provides its employees with benefits such as comprehensive health plans and paid maternity and sick leave. Another strategy employed by Emirates

5888-408: The equestrian sport showjumping, notably at events in Dubai with the CSI5* Emirates Airline Dubai Grand Prix, and with the Longines Masters series, which currently runs CSI5* competitions in Hong Kong, Paris, and New York (formerly held in Los Angeles). Emirates is one of the main sponsors of the Australian and the French Opens at the start of the 2021 season after returning from the first signed

5980-401: The event's closure on 31 March 2022. As of August 2024, Emirates operates over 3,000 flights every week across its network of 137 destinations in 77 countries across six continents from its hub in Dubai. On 21 November 2024, Emirates added the 5th weekly flight to its Dubai- Antananarivo route, commencing 13 December 2024 for a period of 4 weeks to cater for the surge in holidaymakers during

6072-527: The extended-range version in 1997 and in 1999 the Airbus A330-200 . In 2000, the airline placed an order for a large number of aircraft, including the Boeing 777-300 and the Airbus A380 , and also launched its frequent flyer program, Skywards. Since then, the airline has continued to expand its fleet and network, with a focus on operating flights to anywhere in the world via Dubai and competing with other major airlines on international routes. Its growth has attracted criticism from other carriers, who claim that

6164-406: The fuselage both in Arabic and English. The colour scheme used since 1985 was changed in November 1999. This change including the modification of logotype, the enlargement and movement of the English logo (the Arabic remaining smaller) towards the front of the aircraft, and a different, flowing flag on the tailfin. In 2022, Emirates launched two commercials featuring a flight attendant standing on

6256-401: The global economic trend. Of those, 817,000 were local shipments with the rest transshipments. With a capacity of 5.7 million TEUs and a dredged depth of over 15 m (49 ft), the Colombo Harbour is one of the busiest ports in the world and ranks among the top 25 ports (23rd). Sri Lanka's Port of Colombo is said to be the busiest, largest port in the Indian Ocean. Colombo is part of

6348-434: The industries include chemicals, textiles, glass, cement, leather goods, furniture and jewellery. In the city centre is the World Trade Centre . The 40-story Twin Tower complex is the centre of important commercial establishments, in the Fort district, the city's nerve centre. Right outside the Fort area is Pettah which is derived from the Sinhala word pita which means 'out' or 'outside'. The Colombo Metropolitan area has

6440-413: The influence of the British, who established Christian missionary schools. These include the Anglican , Bishop's College (1875); the Methodist , Wesley College Colombo (1874); the Buddhist , Ananda College (1886); the Muslim , Zahira College (1892); the St. Benedict's College, Colombo (1985), the Catholic , St. Joseph's College (1896). The religious alignments do not affect the curriculum of

6532-401: The kingdom in 1593, the Portuguese were able to establish complete control over the coastal area, with Colombo as their capital. This part of Colombo is still known as Fort and houses the presidential palace and the majority of Colombo's five star hotels. The area immediately outside Fort is known as Pettah ( Sinhala : පිට කොටුව , Tamil : புறக் கோட்டை piṭa koṭuva , "outer fort") and is

6624-480: The legislative capital of Sri Lanka, and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia . Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is itself within the urban/suburban area of Colombo. It is also the administrative capital of the Western Province and the district capital of Colombo District . Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life, colonial buildings and monuments. It

6716-472: The main economic driver of the country, the government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has launched an ambitious program to transform Colombo and its area into a metropolis of international standards. Bottlenecks are preventing the Colombo metropolitan area from realizing its full economic potential. To facilitate the transformation of Colombo, the government has to address these bottlenecks which have for long been obstructing economic and physical urban regeneration. Pettah

6808-753: The most recognised landmarks of the city. Before they were completed in 1997, the adjacent Bank of Ceylon tower was the tallest structure and the most prominent city landmark. Before the skyscrapers were built, the Old Parliament Building that stood in the Fort district with the Old Colombo Lighthouse close to it used to be the tallest building. Another important landmark is the Independence Hall at Independence Square in Cinnamon Gardens. Another landmark

6900-547: The official premier partners of the Expo 2020 event hosted by Dubai. To commemorate the event, Emirates unveiled a special livery in three colours (orange, green, and blue) to represent the three themes of the event, namely, Opportunity, Sustainability, and Mobility, respectively. One of its A380s was painted in a blue, nose-to-tail livery that said, "Join The Making of a New World". The sponsorship lasted from 1 October 2021, till

6992-450: The population of Colombo. However, the UNP nomination list for the 2006 Municipal elections was rejected, and an Independent Group supported by the UNP won the elections. Uvais Mohamed Imitiyas was subsequently appointed Mayor of Colombo. The city government provides sewer, road and waste management services to the residents. In the case of water, electricity and telephone utility services,

7084-513: The present city. In some parts of the city, tram car tracks and granite flooring laid during the era are still visible today. This era of colonialism ended peacefully in 1948 when Ceylon gained independence from Britain. Due to the tremendous impact this caused on the city's inhabitants and on the country as a whole, the changes that resulted at the end of the colonial period were drastic. An entire new culture took root. Changes in laws and customs, clothing styles, religions and proper names were

7176-502: The slogan "Fly Better". Emirates introduced a new uniform design in August 2008 for its 16,000 staff, designed by Simon Jersey. The offboard uniform includes the Emirates hat, red kick-pleats in the skirts, more fitted blouses, and the return of red leather shoes and handbags. For the onboard uniform, male and female cabin crew wear service waistcoats in place of the previously worn service jackets and tabards. The male flight attendants wear

7268-578: The slogan "So be good to yourself, Fly Emirates". In 1999, it launched a very rare A330-200 commercial with different pictures showing the aircraft painted in the original livery and the livery used from 1999 until 2023, which was launched a few months prior. Commercials reappeared beginning in 2002 and the airline adopted the slogan "Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering" in 2004. In the 2010s, Emirates utilised multiple slogans in its advertising including "Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering", "Fly Emirates To over Six Continents", and "Hello Tomorrow". Emirates currently uses

7360-637: The spire of the Burj Khalifa . The first commercial was about the UAE moving to the UK's Amber list in the wake of the COVID-19 travel restrictions. The second commercial was to promote the Expo 2020 event with an Airbus A380, painted in a special livery, circling the woman. The woman in the videos was actually a qualified stuntwoman dressed as an Emirates flight attendant. From 2011 until 2022, Emirates sponsored

7452-705: The sponsor of the Super Rugby South African team the Lions , as well as having the naming rights of the team and Ellis Park rugby stadium. It is also the main sponsor of USA Rugby . Emirates is the sponsor of the World Rugby panel of international referees. On 23 September 2019, Emirates partnered with Beirut Basketball Club to sponsor their 2019–2020 season, the deal included branding opportunities during televised matches, social media activation rights and game ticket allocations. The season

7544-554: The sponsor of the UAE Team Emirates (former Team Lampre-Mérida), which is a UCI World Tour Cycling Team. Being World Tour, the team obtains automatic entry to the Tour de France , Giro d'Italia , and Vuelta a Espana , as well as all the major one-day races. In 2015, Jennifer Aniston starred in two commercials for the airline. Since 2023, Penélope Cruz has been the brand ambassador for Emirates. Emirates became one of

7636-409: The time of the airline's inception. The Dubai government is the sole owner of the company, but it does not put any new money into it, nor does it interfere with running the airline. Emirates has diversified into related industries and sectors, including airport services, engineering, catering, and tour operator operations. Emirates has seven subsidiaries and its parent company has more than 50. At

7728-419: The very top, US reports show. In addition, in the period from the 1980s to 2009, there have been a number of major terrorist attacks. The LTTE has been linked to most of the bombings and assassinations in the city. Welikada Prison is situated in Colombo and it is one of the largest maximum-security prisons in the country. Colombo has most of the amenities that a modern city has. Compared to other parts of

7820-465: The water. The roads around Al Garhoud are notorious for their traffic. This United Arab Emirates location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Emirates Airline Emirates ( Arabic : طَيَران الإمارات DMG : Ṭayarān Al-Imārāt ) is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (the other being Etihad Airways ). Based in Garhoud , Dubai ,

7912-410: The year-end festive season. The move will see an increase in capacity for the number of seats to Seychelles and Madagascar . Emirates has partnerships with other airlines, but is not a member of any of the three global airline alliances – Oneworld , SkyTeam , or Star Alliance . In 2000, the airline briefly considered joining Star Alliance, but opted to remain independent. The reasoning for this

8004-549: Was followed by Singapore , Bangkok and Hong Kong . During its early years, Emirates experienced strong growth, averaging 30% annually. The Gulf War helped boost business for the airline as it was the only airline to continue flying in the last ten days of the war. In June 1991 shortly after the end of the hostilities caused by the Gulf War, Emirates finally manages to acquire slots at London Heathrow . In 1996, Emirates took delivery of its baseline Boeing 777-200 , followed by

8096-617: Was later canceled amidst the COVID-19 pandemic . Emirates later signed a multi-year sponsorship with the club in September 2023 becoming its official airline and jersey sponsor for the next three seasons. On 8 February 2024, Emirates signed a multi year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to become the official airline of the league, this deal also includes getting the naming rights for

8188-531: Was later revealed by the senior vice president of the airline's commercial operations worldwide that, "Your ability to react in the marketplace is hindered because you need a consensus from your alliance partners". Emirates codeshares with the following airlines: Colombo Colombo ( / k ə ˈ l ʌ m b oʊ / kə- LUM -boh ; Sinhala : කොළඹ , romanized:  Koḷam̆ba , IPA: [ˈkoləᵐbə] ; Tamil : கொழும்பு , romanized:  Koḻumpu , IPA: [koɻumbɯ] )

8280-522: Was made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, and its status as capital was retained when the nation became independent in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte , Colombo was designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. The name 'Colombo', first introduced by the Portuguese explorers in 1505,

8372-564: Was never completed. Today, many governmental institutions still remain in Colombo. These include the President's House , Presidential Secretariat , Prime Minister's House (Temple Trees), Prime Minister's Office , the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka , Central Bank of Sri Lanka , important government ministries and departments; such as Finance (Treasury), Defence , Public Administration & Home affairs, Foreign affairs , Justice and

8464-561: Was required to operate independently of government subsidies. Pakistan International Airlines also provided free training facilities to Emirates' cabin crew at Karachi Airport . The airline was founded by Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum , the airline's present chairman. In the years following its founding, the airline rapidly expanded both its fleet and its destinations. In October 2008, Emirates moved all of its operations at Dubai International Airport to Terminal 3. Emirates operates

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