Emirates A350
Today, Emirates Airline is taking its first of 65 A350s home. This is news for a few reasons. First, the last time the airline took a new delivery of a new type was in 2008. Second, this new type is a potential Trojan Horse.
Emirates has become an influential airline. A few years ago, it was one of a small group of airlines that drove airshow orders. Especially for the A380, it remains the airline that best exploited that model. Emirates has also been influential with Boeing. An early adopter of the 777X, continued program delays have frustrated the airline.
These delays are the reason for the Trojan Horse comment. Emirates CEO has expressed concerns about the Rolls-Royce engines. While the focus here is on the engines powering the A350-1000, Emirates’ concerns are also driven by their experience with the Rolls-Royce engines on their last A380s delivered. We have heard reports of those engines coming off-wing after only 600 hours because of sand ingestion. Dubai can be a dusty place.
But for the Rolls-Royce issue, Emirates might have accelerated its A350 deliveries. Some of its 777-300ERs are approaching retirement and must be refurbished because the 777Xs are running years late. Being the world’s largest 777 operator gives Emirates clout at Boeing. Annoying Emirates carries risk. Emirates has plans to convert 10 of its 777-300ERs into freighters. The delay in the 777X also impacts that, as Emirates is considering the A350F or the 777-8F.
The focus here is not just on the 777X, though. Airbus has also experienced stress in its supply chain, which has caused delayed deliveries. As noted in the link, Emirates does not regard compensation from the OEMs as sufficient. The airline is spending $4 billion on cabin refurbishments to keep its current fleet in service.
The ability to get the first A350 today becomes potentially pivotal. Its second A350 is already conducting test flights. A6=EXB undertook its first flight on November 12. Typically, the A350 spends ~60 days in tests before delivery. This means this aircraft will likely go to Dubai by the end of January.
If Airbus can keep its supply chain stable (a challenging task), it could deliver a steady supply of A350s to Emirates. This becomes a compelling offering because Emirates might tilt towards Airbus for its freighter and fleet growth. The situation at Boeing is going to take a long time to stabilize. To win this competition, Airbus needs to lean on Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce has not just dissapointed Airbus, it has also disappointed Boeing on the 787 program. Emirates has 35 787s on order, and while this order has gone through modifications, no engine selection has been made. Fortunately, the 787 offers a choice, and the A350 does not.
Airbus has a lot riding on today’s delivery. It is crucial that the A350 does exactly what Emirates wants it to. And Rolls-Royce better not disappoint either. Any fumbles help Boeing catch up on the 777X and bring GE along for the ride with potential 787 business. Emirates is in the drivers’ seat, and they know it.
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Given the massive 777X orders I don’t see much space for further A350 orders.
Als Boeing verder blijft knoeien,dan komen er zeker meer A350,is trouwens ook technisch beter dan een aangepaste Boeing,ondanks weinige aanpassingen hebben ze nog steeds grote problemen mee.Misschien toch wat minder ingenieurs ontslaan,en de directeurs eerder op straat zetten;een vliegtuig moet nu eenmaal veilig kunnen vliegen.
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Translation: If Boeing continues to tinker, there will certainly be more A350s, which are also technically better than a modified Boeing, despite few modifications they still have major problems with them. Maybe they should fire fewer engineers and put the directors on the street sooner; an aircraft must be able to fly safely.