Dubai: Emirates, the world’s biggest operator of Airbus SE A380 planes, wants to see further improvements and get reassurances from the French manufacturer on the fate of the slow-selling double-decker jet before ordering more.
With Airbus mulling further production cuts, the Dubai-based carrier is baulking at a new order until it knows Airbus’ plans for the A380, Emirates president Tim Clark said at a briefing at the Paris Air Show. Instead of adding to its fleet, the airline could keep flying its current A380s for longer.
Airbus recently formalised plans to equip the superjumbo with fuel-saving winglets to help boost efficiency by as much 4 per cent, dubbing the upgraded aircraft the A380plus. The Toulouse-based company has not offered the enhancements on the remaining superjumbos Emirates has on order, but it may get the 4.7-metre (15-foot) wing extensions if the airline buys more planes, Clark said.
Emirates is in talks about the purchase of 20 more A380s in a move that could extend the lifespan of a program dogged by slow sales, people familiar with the discussions said earlier this month. The contract would be worth $8.7 billion (Dh31.95 billion) before discounts.
