Emirates president Tim Clark said on Tuesday that Dubai’s flagship carrier will buy more of the existing A380 even if Airbus decides not to push ahead the program with a version with new, more efficient engines.
Emirates is the A380 biggest customer and supporter within the airline industry. The airline has ordered 142 A380s, 77 of which are now in operation.
A potential upgraded version of the A380, which would probably be named A380neo, has been out aside by Airbus for the time being, as the manufacturer concentrates on a bigger version of the A350 family.
Clark told reporters that as the first batch of A380s comes up to retirement, the airline will replace the jets with more of the type. He also added that Emirates could increase its A380 fleet to 200 when the move to Dubai World Central (DWC) happens, altough the move is unlikely before 2023.
The airline is still considering an order for about 50-70 Airbus A350s, Airbus’ latest jet, or Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The carrier cancelled an order for 70 A350s in 2014, saying the new plane did not fit original specifications, but later launched a new purchasing process.
The World of Aviation 