TORONTO – Emirates celebrated a major milestone yesterday – the 30th anniversary of its inaugural flight, which departed on Oct. 25, 1985 from Dubai International Airport to Karachi.

Flight EK600 flew on the airline’s first aircraft – an Airbus A300 – and carried onboard a number of Dubai Civil Aviation officials as well as a jubilant crew of 11 members. Captain Fazle Ghani was at the controls on that historic day, and looks back with fond memories.

“I was blessed to be part of very competent professionals, to lay the foundation of Emirates. When I look back at the history of Emirates, there are a few things which I always talk about: select a team of professionals, give them responsibility with authority and with no interference from outside in their official work. That is the secret of Emirates,” he said in a promotional video done by Emirates.

In the 30 years since those early days, Emirates has grown to become the world’s largest international airline, serving 147 cities on six continents.