OREANDA-NEWS. Emirates, a global connector of people and places, is the most valuable airline brand worldwide for the third consecutive year, according to The Brand Finance Global 500 report for 2014 that was released this week.

The airline, now at the 234th position in the list, is also the most valuable brand in the Middle East for the fourth consecutive year, and is currently valued at USD 5.48 billion, an increase of 34 per cent over its 2013 value.

Arsenal player Kieran Gibbs at a children's Clinic in Nagoya, Japan during the Arsenal Asia Tour 2013

“A strong brand is an important business differentiator, and that is why Emirates has continually invested in our brand over the years. We are delighted that our brand valuation has increased and that Emirates has retained its top position, because this reflects our success in engaging our customers, and remaining relevant to them in a fast changing and highly competitive global environment,” said Boutros Boutros, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand.

“Emirates flies more passengers over longer distances than any of its rivals and has become the standard by which other airline brands are judged. As employees of the Middle East's most valuable brand, Emirates' staff are ambassadors for the whole region, building bridges and good relationships across cultures with their impeccable service,” said David Haigh, Chief Executive, Brand Finance.

Emirates' brand platform 'Hello Tomorrow' connects people and cultures by creating relevant and meaningful experiences that are shaping our world. It is an intrinsic part of airline's aspirations to evolve into a global lifestyle brand - not just offer a way to connect people from one point to another, but work as a catalyst to connect people's hopes, dreams and aspirations. A global audience now has diverse ways of engaging with Emirates through iconic sponsorships such as the FIFA World Cup™ and Formula One, to its many social media platforms. Emirates is now one of the most engaged brands on Facebook not only in the airline category but amongst other lifestyle brands, with posts about its fleet, products, sponsorships and crew. Emirates is also the world's largest airline on LinkedIn, and has an active presence on YouTubeInstagram and Google Plus.

With a fleet of 212 aircraft, Emirates operates services to 141 destinations in 80 countries from Dubai. With a multi-cultural work force which is made up of more than 48,000 people from over 160 different nations, Emirates embodies the spirit of the brand and its evolution is embedded internally with an outlook that celebrates the new, the pioneering and innovative in the world - empowering people to explore, engage and live.

Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy, releases its annual Brand Finance Global 500 report which assesses the dollar value of the reputation, image and intellectual property of the world's foremost brands across diverse categories. The ranking also considers in its valuation, a number of relevant attributes such as emotional connection, financial performance and sustainability, economic growth rates, revenue forecasts and analysts' insights, amongst others.