Emirates placed a firm order with Airbus today for eight additional A350-900 aircraft at the Dubai Airshow today. The aircraft will be delivered in 2031, and bring the total A350 commitment to 73 aircraft, with 13 of those already in service. This comes after an order yesterday for 65 Boeing 777-9 aircraft, with options to change if a larger -10 variant is developed.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “The Emirates A350’s entry into service last November has given us welcome additional capacity. It has also enabled us to introduce Emirates’ latest inflight products to more customers, including our popular Premium Economy seats. We look forward working closely with Airbus on the delivery of our remaining aircraft including the new units that we have ordered today.
“Together with the additional Boeing 777-9 order announced earlier this week, Emirates now has a total of 375 units of the latest wide-body aircraft on its order book. This is a massive investment in our future, the future of flying better for our customers, as well as the future of aviation in terms of job and value creation.”
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business, said: “We are pleased to see our long-standing partner Emirates renewing its commitment to the Airbus A350, which continues to set the benchmark for long-haul travel. We look forward to supporting Emirates as it expands its operations with one of the world’s most modern wide-body aircraft in the market.”
“Today’s announcement is testament to the confidence in the Trent XWB-84, exclusively powering the Airbus A350-900. The Trent XWB-84 has been setting the industry benchmark for large aero-engines for ten years, demonstrating outstanding durability and low fuel consumption, making it the ideal platform to support Emirates and its expansion. We extend our gratitude to Emirates for their continued trust in Rolls-Royce and are proud to continue our long-standing relationship,” said Omar Ali Adib, Senior Vice President, Customer – Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce.
The Bottom Line
This top-off order falls short of pre-show expectations for Airbus, as the airline may prefer to wait for a larger variant of the A350. Airbus indicated that a study is underway for a higher capacity model of its flagship wide-body, which should be of interest to the Dubai-based carrier. At the end of the show, the airline has 375 orders outstanding, 60 with Airbus and 315 with Boeing. An A350 stretch will likely be necessary to change that current dynamic and mix.
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