Emirates, one of the world's largest international airlines, has released its annual financial report, witnessing $1.9 billion in profits, a 56 percent increase over the last year.

Over the last year, Emirates has battled a major lobbying campaign, led by three largest US carriers aimed at restricting Emirates' growth in America. Despite the campaign, Emirates was able to expand its network to 153 points on six continents, and its fleet to 251 aircraft.

The company's overall capacity grew 11 percent, adding flights to 20 existing destinations and launching eight new passenger destinations including Bali, Indonesia; Multan, Pakistan; Orlando; Mashhad,Iran; Bologna, Italy; Sabiha Gocken, Istanbul, Turkey; and a linked service between Cebu and Clark in the Philippines.

The airline ended the year with services to 153 destinations, and a record of 51.9 million passengers.

"Our aim is not to be the biggest, but the best in all that we do. That is why we continually invest in our people, technology, and facilities, to deliver the best value and experience to our customers, and to accelerate our progress," the company said.

The Emirates Group's strong financial performance is a testament to the success of its business model, as the parent company also reported its highest ever profit, $2.2. billion, up 50 percent over last year.