Dubai pressures Airbus as A380 order hopes fizzle

Dubai wants a guarantee that Airbus will keep production of the A380 superjumbo open for at least 10 years before state-owned Emirates places a new order for the world’s largest jetliner, the airline’s president said on Monday.

Speaking to Reuters at the Dubai Airshow, Tim Clark also said the largest Middle East carrier would probably stick with the Boeing 787 for its mid-sized fleet needs after ordering 40 of the jets on Sunday, and could order more in future. Airbus’s hopes of a new order from top customer Emirates for the slow-selling A380 were thwarted on Sunday when the airline unveiled a surprise order for 40 Boeing 787-10 jets worth $15.1 billion at list prices, but no European contract.

Delegates said Airbus may be willing to meet Dubai’s conditions to steady A380 output, but hopes of an announcement during the rest of the Nov 12-16 air show all but evaporated on Monday as Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders left empty-handed.

“We continue to have a dialogue with them,” Clark said.

“If that comes to some kind of fruition during the course of the week, or the next few months, is very much down to them.”

Delegates said an air show order was not impossible but now looked unlikely.

Airbus has been scaling back production plans for the A380, which was launched as the solution to ever-rising air travel between major international hubs but has been outflanked by improvements in the efficiency of smaller jets. With 100 A380s already in Emirates’ fleet, Clark made plain the concerns about Airbus’ commitment to the project were being felt as high as the Dubai government, which owns the airline. (RTRS)