Business | Aviation
Emirates to buy eight more A380s
Emirates, the biggest customer for the Airbus A380, yesterday signed a $2.6-billion deal to buy eight more superjumbos, taking the Dubai-based airline's total order for the aircraft to 55.
- By Shakir Husain, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:37 June 18, 2007
- Image Credit: WAM
- Shaikh Ahmad (left) with Airbus CEO Louis Gallois at the 47th Paris International Air Show. Emirates signed a contract yesterday to buy eight more Airbus A380 superjumbos.
Dubai: Emirates, the biggest customer for the Airbus A380, yesterday signed a $2.6-billion deal to buy eight more superjumbos, taking the Dubai-based airline's total order for the aircraft to 55.
The letter of intent was signed at the Paris International Air Show by Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates, and Airbus chief executive Louis Gallois.
"The A380 is a technologically advanced aircraft that fits perfectly with our projected growth strategy. Every single one of the A380s we have ordered has been carefully planned for Emirates' present and future requirements," Shaikh Ahmad said in a statement.
Emirates was a launch customer for the A380, which now has 14 customers.
Airbus, which has received a total of 163 firm orders and 10 commitments for the double-decker plane, has been troubled by delays in the A380 project and deliveries are behind schedule.
Emirates will take delivery of its first A380, powered by GP7200 engines, in the third quarter of 2008.
The eight additional aircraft ordered yesterday are expected to be delivered over 16 months, starting July 2011.
Singapore Airlines, which has ordered 19 A380s, will be the first airline to fly the aircraft when it receives the first one in October this year.
All praises
Airbus praised the aircraft as being "cleaner, greener, quieter and smarter."
"We are very proud of the A380's environmental friendliness with levels of fuel efficiency that will help make aviation better for all," Gallois said.
The A380 can typically seat 525 passengers in three classes.
Yesterday's deal was the second additional order this year that Emirates has placed for the A380. In May it signed a firm order for four additional A380s.
Emirates' current order book of 118 wide-bodied aircraft is worth over $30 billion and includes 55 Airbus A380s, 51 Boeing 777s, and 12 Boeing 747 Freighters. Emirates is also on the hunt for up to 100 mid-sized planes and this deal could be $20 billion, Reuters reported.
Emirates said it would decide on an order by October and that the design of the Airbus A350 XWB was closing in on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, it reported quoting the airline's president Tim Clark, who ruled out splitting the order for as many as 100 planes between the two manufacturers.
CRAZE
Orderbook position
- Emirates 55
- Qantas 20
- Singapore Airlines 19
- Lufthansa 15
- Air France 12
- ILFC 10
- Malaysia Airlines 6
- Thai Airways 6
- Virgin 6
- Qatar 5
- China Southern 5
- Kingfisher 5
- Korea Air 5
- Etihad 4
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