Emirates is to buy 42 Boeing 777 aircraft, including the 777-200LR Worldliner, in a deal worth $9.7 billion, it was announced at the show yesterday. The Dubai-based airline has options on a further 20 777s.
It is the largest ever order for the Boeing 777 family of aircraft and is made up of 24 777-300ERs, ten 777-200LRs and eight 777 freighters. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2007.
The aircraft will be powered by GE90 engines in a deal with General Electric worth $2 billion.
“We are investing in more new aircraft to meet the escalating demand for Emirates’ services from our customers across the globe,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates said yesterday.
He added that while the aircraft would enable the airline to strengthen its routes to Europe and Asia, the ultra long range 777-200LR would enable Emirates to “explore new destinations”, including non-stop flights to cities on the US west coast.
Sheikh Ahmed says: “Global air travel has been resilient, with particularly strong growth in the Middle East region and Asia, where burgeoning economies have led to vigorous trade and tourism exchanges.
“Having an advanced and efficient fleet of aircraft will allow Emirates to tap into the opportunities presented by this environment and allow us to continue providing customers with faster air connections and superior travel comfort.”
With no sign of Emirates appetite for rapid expansion diminishing, Sheikh Ahmed dismisses criticisms from other airlines that Emirates benefits from unfair subsidies. The airline operates in exactly the same way as any other company in the UAE, he says. “I think it is a matter of jealousy.
Jim McNerney, making his first international trip since taking over as Boeing chairman, president and chief executive, says: “I’m delighted that Emirates has decided to make the 777 the cornerstone of its fleet.”
MIKE MARTIN
Source: Flight Daily News
