Leading air carrier Emirates Airline registered a staggering 94 per cent increase in profits at $247 million during the last fiscal and aims to tap more destinations in the Indian subcontinent.

Announcing the results, the chairman of the Emirates Airlines, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum said the performance was due mainly to the average passenger seat factor increase of 77 per cent, an all time record and the rise in cargo which was up by 20 per cent.

The Emirates will not stop service to any destination in the far east affected by the SARS virus scare though the number of passengers travelling to the region had fallen dramatically, he said adding the airlines will be looking at more destinations in the Indian subcontinent.

"There are many destinations in India we would like to fly to," Sheikh Ahmed told reporters, adding that Emirates had already increased its services to India last year and was in talks with the authorities to see if more destinations could be introduced.

He said there was no need for panic over SARS and the Emirates was in touch with the World Health Organisation over the steps to be taken to ensure that Emirates passengers are not exposed to the risk of SARS.

Emirates carried 8.5 million passengers marking an increase of 26 per cent over last year's total of 6.8 million, Sheikh Ahmed said.

He said emirates planned to fly to Baghdad in June this year provided the environment in Iraq was congenial to civilian flight operations.

Emirates Airline flies to 64 destinations in 45 countries and planned to have 100 aircraft by the year 2010.