Name: Orhan Abbas
Title: Senior vice president, commercial operations, The Americas, Emirates
Company, city: Emirates; Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Number of employees: 52,000
Recent project: Following the launch of our daily Washington, D.C. service in September, we began twice-daily Airbus A380 service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. In Dubai, Concourse A, the world’s only dedicated A380 concourse, opened Jan. 1, featuring the world’s largest first- and business-class lounges.
First job: I joined Emirates 14 years ago as a management trainee.
Little-known fact about you: I recently became a father to twin boys.

Your Business

Essential business philosophy: Emirates’ philosophy centers around connecting people through meaningful, innovative and shared experiences. We do more than transport passengers from one place to another; we actively share and support their interests and passions while offering choice, with more than 125 destinations worldwide.

Best way to keep a competitive edge: Innovation is a core company value. We have introduced a number of world firsts in the airline industry, and we remain a market leader by integrating the most advanced developments across all areas of our business.

Yardstick of success: Be passionate about everything you do and everything you want to accomplish. I dream, think and breathe Emirates, so to me this is a measure of success.

Orhan Abbas as a Traveler

What is the most important item you take when traveling? My iPad

How do you spend your time on board? I enjoy reading and watching movies. With 1,400 channels on Emirates’ in-flight entertainment system and 300 movies on every flight, there is no time to sleep!

What is your favorite restaurant in the world? I love Japanese food; my favorite restaurants are Zuma, Nobu and Benihana.

What is your favorite destination in the world? My favorite city apart from Dubai is London; I visit as often as I can. My favorite U.S. city is New York; I love walking among the skyscrapers.

About Emirates

What can travelers expect from Emirates in the near future? Travelers can experience our flagship Airbus A380 from JFK, in the morning or at night, and will be able to fly to more destinations via Dubai as we expand our global network in 2013. We have announced new services to Algiers and Warsaw — stay tuned for more additions.

What makes your premium cabins unique? Emirates introduced world firsts in premium cabins, including the first private suites in first class and the first and only shower spas in the sky, on the A380; premium-class passengers enjoy complimentary beverages and canapés in the onboard lounge. What sets Emirates apart is providing a premium experience before you even board your flight, with chauffeur-driven service to and from the airport, dedicated check-in counters, priority baggage handling and access to luxurious dedicated lounges.

Our in-flight entertainment system, ice, available in all cabins, is unparalleled. Customers can make and receive phone calls, emails and text messages via seat-back communications service on all flights, and access WiFi Internet and in-flight mobiles on select flights.

What are Emirates’ recent accomplishments in the North American market? We are encouraged by the strong performance of our U.S. routes. In 2012, we launched three new routes (Washington, D.C.; Dallas/Fort Worth; Seattle) and opened our first lounge on the U.S. West Coast, at San Francisco International Airport. We celebrated the unveiling of the 1,000th Boeing 777, the 102nd in our 777 fleet, in Everett, Wash. We added 15 destinations to our global network; as well as connecting passengers with family and friends around the world, we hope our seven U.S. gateways support local business and inbound tourism.

Global Traveler’s 2012 GT Tested Reader Survey awarded Emirates Best Airline for International First Class, Best First-Class Seat Design, Best Airline in the Middle East and Best Airport Lounges. Travel Weekly recently named Emirates Best Business/First Class Airline.

We connect with our customers and their passions via the Emirates Airline US Open Series and Emirates Team New Zealand, and as the official airline of the San Francisco Symphony and USA Rugby.