Emirates ‘disappointed’ as programme ends

Emirates airline said yesterday it was “disappointed” and “sad” that Airbus’s A380 programme could not be sustained, as the European aircraft manufacturer announced it would cease production of A380s.

Airbus said it is axing the programme due the “lack of order backlog with other airlines” after Emirates reduced its A380 order book. Emirates, which has long been the A380’s main customer, said the aircraft model will remain in its fleet “well into the 2030s,” even as it said it is tweaking its existing order of A380s to more A330s and A350s.

Emirates announced it has signed a $21.4-billion (Dh78.6 billion) deal with Airbus for an order for 40 A330-900 aircraft and 30 A350-900 aircraft, which will be delivered starting from 2021.

As for A380s, Emirates and Airbus said they reached an agreement on the outstanding deliveries, with the airline to receive 14 more A380s from 2019 till the end of 2021.

“Emirates has been a staunch supporter of the A380 since its very inception. While we are disappointed to have to give up our order, and sad that the programme could not be sustained, we accept that this is the reality of the situation,” said Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group.

The differentiator

Shaikh Ahmad described the A380 as a “wonderful aircraft” loved by Emirates’ customers and crew, adding that it has been a “differentiator” for the airline.

“We have shown how people can truly fly better on the A380, and Emirates has set the standards for that by introducing customer experiences that are unique to the A380 like our shower spas and onboard lounge,” he said in a statement.