Glasgow and London have been revealed by Emirates as the airline’s most popular gateways for inbound travel to the UK.

Emirates, which describes itself as the world’s largest international airline, also highlighted the strength of outbound traffic on its Glasgow flights.

It flagged an overall “surge in forward bookings, with strong demand for international travel to and from the UK expected throughout 2024”.

Emirates said: “Travel demand on the Dubai to Glasgow route…continues to grow with forward bookings up by 51% year-on-year in 2024.”

Richard Jewsbury, Emirates' divisional vice-president in the UK, said: “The UK has always been one of the most popular destinations in Emirates’ global network. Whether it’s for business or leisure, travellers from all over the world are drawn to the UK thanks to its rich history, business community, diverse culture, and iconic attractions.

"We are proud to play an instrumental role in connecting the UK to our global network, and in boosting travel and trade to and from the country.”

The airline said: “Bookings for Emirates’ flights from Hong Kong to the UK have risen 15-fold (1556%) year-on-year, while travel to the UK from South Africa (+53%), Thailand (+46%), Malaysia (+29%), Pakistan (+16%), and Australia (+10%) have also seen a sharp increase in demand.”

It added that “outbound travel from the UK is also anticipated to rise in 2024”, flagging a “strong increase” in forward bookings to Dubai, and “destinations in the Far East, and Indian Ocean”.

Emirates said that outbound tourism on its flights from Glasgow is up 66%.

It added: “While all UK departure points are seeing healthy passenger growth, Newcastle and Glasgow come out on top, as the regions continue to experience the largest increase in demand for international travel. Emirates reintroduced its A380 service to Glasgow in 2023 to meet the surge in both inbound and outbound travel demand.”