Airline reports boom in first-class travel to UK from two countries

Business & FinanceTravel
4 Aug 2025 • 3:48 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Emirates has reported a significant increase in first-class bookings to the UK from China (27 per cent) and India (17 per cent) in the first half of the year.
  • It comes alongside a 10 per cent rise in business class bookings from Australia.
  • The airline also anticipates a surge in Chinese visitors to regional UK airports like Glasgow and Newcastle, with projected increases of 18 per cent and 45 per cent respectively in the second half of 2025.
  • Emirates says this growth in affluent international visitors is driving economic growth within the UK.
  • The UK government aims to attract 50 million international visitors annually by 2030.

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