The so-called "Emirates business model" is the business model that lies at the heart of Emirates's commercial success. Its main ingredients are a lean workforce comparable to a low-cost carrier and a flat organisational structure that allows the airline to maintain low overhead costs. Some industry analysts believe the airline is second only to Ryanair on a cash cost per seat basis due to lower operating costs at its Dubai base. This enables it to serve secondary destinations profitably by connecting these via its global hub in Dubai.