Emirates is considering the Boeing 787 family as a potential option, according to Emirates President Tim Clark, due to the increased take-off weight of the 787-10, which provides a range of up to 6,400 nm.
Emirates will have to continue operating its refurbished and retrofitted fleet for a longer period of time. Due to delays in the delivery of new aircraft, which impacts the availability of a larger fleet.
Emirates Eyes Boeing 787-10
The range of Boeing 787 is suitable for the routes that the Emirates currently operates and potential new ones.
“We are constantly exploring aircraft orders. Emirates has a history of organic growth, which has been the key to our success,” said Tim Clark.
According to Emirates Airline President Sir Tim Clark, the days of manufacturers being able to deliver new aircraft to a set schedule are gone.
In an interview at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, Clark said that Emirates has chosen to refurbish and retrofit its fleet of Boeing 777s. Instead of relying on new deliveries, which are often delayed due to supply chain issues.
Clark went on to explain that Emirates could not continue to be held hostage by delivery schedules that are not met. Further, the supply chain problems have been a major contributing factor.
Emirates Fleet Update
President Sir Tim Clark said that to maintain and expand its network, Emirates currently operates around 265 aircraft that are flying, regardless of any delays in deliveries from manufacturers.
As of May, Emirates is operating 137 Boeing 777s and 86 A380s. In addition, the airline has 165 aircraft on order. Including 50 A350s and 115 777X, which will be delivered between 2024 and 2031.
Clark said that in case of any slowdowns in production, Emirates has a strategy of relying on its retrofitted fleet as a backup.
Boeing 777X
In an interview with Aviation Daily at the Arabian Travel Market. Emirates Airline President Sir Tim Clark stated that the carrier will not accept 777X delivery delays past July 2025.
Although he acknowledged a possible delay of one or two months, Clark made it clear that Boeing is aware of the deadline.
He expects the first deliveries of the 777X to Emirates to be made between July and October 2025.
Airbus A350
According to Emirates Airline President Sir Tim Clark, the delivery of A350-900s will take place between 2024 and the end of 2026 or early 2027, which will help the fleet grow.
He added that the growth of the fleet also depends on the delivery of streams and the 777-300ERs that will be kept and refurbished, some of which may be kept as spare aircraft.
Emirates plans to expand its network to several destinations that it does not currently serve. Clark also mentioned that the A350-900, which has a capacity of over 300 seats in three classes. It is ideal for serving several African points and South and North America routes.
Emirates is looking to expand its network with the introduction of A350s and 777Xs. The airline is considering 15 to 20 new destinations in Africa, Europe, and America for these aircraft. He added that the A350-900 is a good airplane and suitable for the proposed routes.
Bottom Line
According to Emirates Airline President Sir Tim Clark, the airline’s load factors in May are currently at 80%, which he described as “really good.” The carrier has been experiencing strong demand, particularly on flights between Dubai and the UK.
Mr. Clark characterized the demand as “resilient.” Further, He stated that Emirates expects to establish more codeshare agreements similar to the ones it recently signed with United Airlines and Air Canada.
In response to a question about the emergence of new Saudi airlines and regional competitors. Mr. Clark dismissed the notion that the Emirates would be affected.
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