Airbus wins $31b Emirates order

Dubai: On the opening day of the 10th Dubai Airshow, European commercial airplane manufacturer Airbus eclipsed its competition by winning a $31 billion order for 131 aircraft from Dubai's Emirates.

Emirates yesterday signed a contract for 81 Airbus wide-bodied aircraft.

The agreement signed in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, between Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO, includes 50 Airbus A350XWB-900s, 20 A350XWB-1000s, 11 additional A380s and 50 options for the A350-900.

Airbus said Emirates' order yesterday is the single largest by the airline in its history.

The new round of aircraft order from Emirates includes eight A380 aircraft announced at Le Bourget last June plus an additional three, this bringing the total incremental Emirates A380 order in 2007 to 15.

It also makes Emirates by far the largest A380 customer with 58 planes.

The firm orders have a list price of $20.2 billion.

"The A350 XWBs and A380s will play an important role in supporting Emirates' and Dubai's growth plans. As the leading international airline for the 21st century, it made sense for Emirates to choose the A350 XWB - an aircraft designed with 21st century technologies. It offers the latest efficiencies in operational economics and environmental performance, balanced with the latest passenger comfort.

"We are also adding more A380s to our order, to match our new growth plans which are aligned to Dubai's aim to attract 15 million visitors a year by 2012," Shaikh Ahmad told a crowded press conference.

The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) is Airbus' response to market demand for a medium-capacity long-range wide-bodied family.

Available from 2013, it has an entirely new design with a wider and taller fuselage for extra space and passenger comfort.

"Emirates airline is placing great faith in our A350 XWB and A380 programmes as well as our company and we are rightfully proud", said Tom Enders.

"Our products offer unmatched performance and passenger comfort as well as reduced fuel burn which not only makes good business sense but is also good for the environment," he added.

The A380 has unmatched fuel efficiency and is significantly quieter than any other large aircraft flying today, producing only half as much noise on take-off as the former largest commercial aircraft.

According to Airbus, in a typical three-class, 525-seat configuration, the A380 seat mile cost are 20 per cent lower and range capability over 1,000 nautical miles longer than the former largest commercial aircraft.

Emirates conducted months of tough negotiations with both rivals to ensure that the planes it ordered would correspond to its requirements.

Asked about his company's preference for the A350 over the rival Boeing, Shaikh Ahmad said: "We looked at the two planes, their seating, their capacities. Airbus has the right product that met our current requirements."

After the announcement, an upbeat Airbus sales chief John Leahy raised forecast sales of the A350 XWB to "more than 300" by the end of this year. He had expected 200 orders at the start of the year.