Emirates US$16 billion deal saves the Airbus A380

Contrary to recent reports on the future of the Airbus A380, the continued presence of the superjumbo looks more certain with Emirates announcing a US$ 16 billion (AED 58.7 billion) deal for 36 additional A380 aircraft — with 20 firm orders and 16 options. 

• MOU for 20 firm orders and 16 options signed yesterday
• Latest deal takes Emirates’ total Airbus A380 commitment to 178 aircraft units, underscoring the airline’s confidence in the programme

The additional Airbus A380s will be delivered to Emirates from 2020 onwards. Together with the airline’s 101-strong A380 fleet and its current order backlog for 41 aircraft, this new order brings Emirates’ commitment to the A380 programme to 178 aircraft, worth over US$ 60 billion.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: “Emirates truly represents Dubai’s spirit of growth, innovation and resilience. It also epitomises the city’s increasing role in connecting the world in terms of people, capital and information flows. This deal reflects Emirates’ confidence in shaping the future, and its commitment to advancing Dubai’s vision to grow further as a world-class destination and aviation hub.”

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (below), chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) today with John Leahy, chief operating officer for customers at Airbus Commercial Aircraft, at the airline’s headquarters in Dubai.

Sheikh Ahmed said: “We’ve made no secret of the fact that the A380 has been a success for Emirates. Our customers love it, and we’ve been able to deploy it on different missions across our network, giving us flexibility in terms of range and passenger mix.

He added: “Some of the new A380s we’ve just ordered will be used as fleet replacements. This order will provide stability to the A380 production line. We will continue to work closely with Airbus to further enhance the aircraft and onboard product, so as to offer our passengers the best possible experience. The beauty of this aircraft is that the technology and real estate on board gives us plenty of room to do something different with the interiors.”

“We’ve made no secret of the fact that the A380 has been a success for Emirates. Our customers love it” –  Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

“I would like to thank Emirates, Sheikh Ahmed, Tim Clark and Adel Al-Redha for their continued support of the A380,” said John Leahy. “This aircraft has contributed enormously to Emirates’ growth and success since 2008 and we are delighted that it will continue to do so. This new order underscores Airbus’ commitment to produce the A380 at least for another ten years. I’m personally convinced more orders will follow Emirates’ example and that this great aircraft will be built well into the 2030s.”

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