ISTANBUL- Middle East Carrier Emirates (EK), the largest long-haul airline globally, has unveiled its intentions to place a new order for wide-body aircraft in response to the increasing demand for air travel.
The Dubai-based carrier is considering the Airbus A350, Boeing 777-9. Further, potentially the smaller Boeing 787 Dreamliners to replace and expand its existing fleet.
This announcement is made by Emirates’ President, Tim Clark, during a media round-table held at the 79th annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Istanbul.
Emirates to order Upto 150 aircraft
“We have plans to acquire a significant number of additional aircraft,” stated Tim Clark, though he refrained from disclosing the specific scale or timeline of the forthcoming aircraft order.
Emirates presently boasts a fleet of 260 aircraft. Further, it has existing orders for 50 Airbus A350s, 117 Boeing 777Xs, and 30 Boeing 787-9s.
According to Clark, finding aircraft replacements for Emirates’ A380s and 777-300ERs is crucial. As the former will begin to be phased out from 2032-2033 onward.
“We made the decision to retrofit more than 140 aircraft, but they have limited lifespans,” he explains regarding these older aircraft types.
Emphasizing the airline’s ambitious growth plans worldwide, Clark states, “We have extensive expansion plans in various regions.” He highlights that the Airbus A350 is well-suited for opening previously unsuitable routes for the 777-300ER.
Clark further suggests that with these expansion initiatives, the combined networks of Emirates and Flydubai could potentially encompass 250 cities by the end of the decade.
“It’s a substantial undertaking… we need to utilize the assets effectively,” he affirms. Although he doesn’t provide a specific number. He states that the aircraft order could range anywhere from 80 to 150 or even 100, and it may not end there.
Emirates is scheduled to receive its initial batch of A350-900s in the coming year. At the same time, the first delivery of the 777-9 is anticipated in the last quarter of 2025. Both are from the airline’s existing orders.
Regarding the future of Emirates’ current order for the 787, Clark mentions that discussions with Boeing are currently underway.
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.
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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