Emirates was formed on October 25 1985 when the Government of Dubai provided $10 Million in initial start up capital for the carrier via the Investment Corporation of Dubai. The airline remains Government owned and has been self-financing since the initial investment.
Initially the airline operated just two aircraft, a Boeing 737-300 and an Airbus A300, both of which were leased from Pakistan International Airlines. Later that year a Boeing 727-200 was leased from the Dubai Air Wing to provide additional capacity