Carrier says enlarged model is still too small but could be viable if terms are attractive
Emirates says that it is a potential launch customer for the stretched -9 version of the Boeing 7E7, but wants to see a more attractive price tag before it considers placing an order.
"We've already told Boeing that the baseline 7E7[-8] is far too small for us, but we could be interested in the stretch," says Emirates (airline) president Tim Clark. "They want us to come on to the programme with the baseline 7E7, and help to define the stretch."
Boeing claims that the new technologies offered by the 7E7 will produce a step change in cash operating costs - to the tune of 20% over existing twinjets. But Clark warns that these benefits could be ruined if Boeing "doesn't get the ownership costs right…it's down to the deal", he says.
In Emirates' configuration, a three-class 7E7-9 would seat 245 passengers, "which is still a little bit too small for us", says Clark. He would like the stretch to be a three-class, 300-seater, to enable it to replace the airline's 777-200s - but "Boeing said that was too big".
Clark says, however, that "if the economics are as good as advertised, and the price is right, we could be interested". He adds that the delivery timeframe for the -9 is 2010 - two years after the baseline aircraft.
The airline's existing long-term plan calls for its 237-seat Airbus A330-200s to start leaving the fleet in 2007, and as currently envisaged Emirates will focus on a fleet of much larger aircraft. "The plan was that the Boeing 777-300/A340-600 would be our smallest aircraft on our shorter routes," he says, but he adds that the 7E7 stretch could find a niche at the airline on certain long thin routes.
MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / DUBAI
Source: Flight International
