Emirates Airline is expecting a 15 to 20 per cent rise in the number of customers from India in fiscal 2011. The company operates 184 weekly flights from ten Indian destinations to Dubai.

“India has bounced back strongly from the effects of the global economic crisis. Even last year, we saw robust numbers from our Indian operation,” Orhan Abbas, vice president – India & Nepal, Emirates Airline, said. “The trend should only get stronger this year.”

India is the fastest growing market for the UAE-based airline.

The West Asia and Indian Ocean region, which includes India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius and Seychelles, accounts for more than 12 per cent of the company’s revenue.

Abbas believes corporate travel is returning to its earlier levels after a poor FY 10. “With the improvement in the global economic scenario, corporate travel is fast recovering. Still, I won’t say we are completely out of the woods,” he said.

Emirates has launched five new routes in 2010

to Tokyo, Amsterdam, Prague, Madrid and Dakar. A couple of new services, to Baghdad and Medina, are on the cards.

The airline posted a net profit of $964 million in 2009-10 against $187 million in 2008-09.

Emirates has been operating flights in India for the last 25 years. Abbas claims that India is the airline’s largest outstation with around 900 employees.

It also operates a call centre in Mumbai employing about 400 people. The call centre services the India, New York, Singapore and Australia markets.

Ten per cent of Emirates’ cabin crew comprises Indians.