Dubai: Emirates, Dubai's flagship airline, was never used as a bargaining chip when the emirate was in talks with Abu Dhabi over funding, its chairman told Zawya Dow Jones on Wednesday.
"We never really talked in any way about any of our strategic companies with Abu Dhabi," Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who also heads Dubai's Supreme Fiscal Committee and is President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, said in an interview at his office at Dubai International Airport. "I know it's always been the rumour."
"When you think about what Emirates has achieved I think anyone would want to have equity in it," Shaikh Ahmad said. "It's a very successful business for Dubai."
Emirates Group is one of Dubai's most prized assets and one of the fastest growing airlines globally. The carrier indirectly contributes about Dh40 billion to Dubai's economy each year and is key to the emirate's success story.
"If it wasn't for Emirates, this market wouldn't have been able to grow as it has. It's a huge contribution," Shaikh Ahmad said, highlighting the economic benefits of a group that employs over 32,000 in Dubai.
The carrier currently operates a fleet of close to 150 wide-body aircraft, including eight A380s. It has a further $55 billion (Dh202 billion) of orders with Airbus and Boeing and plans to increase this order.
"We're in talks with Boeing and Airbus," Shaikh Ahmad said. "We're looking at buying more aircraft maybe as many as 10 either 777s or A330s."
Emirates is the largest customer for the giant Airbus A380.
