The Dubai airline expects the Boeing 787 to be delayed for years, so Emirates is flirting with the increase in its Airbus order and is also targeting the A350-1000.
At the end of April, Tim Clark let the order for the Boeing 787 falter for the first time. In view of the Dreamliner delays, the Emirates President said: “We are reviewing the whole situation and will see if the 787 has a seat. in the fleet or not “.
In an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the ILA in Berlin, Clark now explains: “Under the contract, we would receive our first Boeing 787 next May, ie in eleven months. I don’t think we’ll get them before 2025 or 2026. “It’s too late for Emirates. Especially since the largest Boeing 777-9, also ordered by the airline, is also late.
More Airbus A350s instead of Boeing 787-9s?
When asked about alternatives to the 30 787-9s ordered, the President of the Emirates replies: “Maybe even more Airbus A350s”. These could be delivered faster and bridge the gap the golf airline fears between 2024 and 2027.
Emirates has already ordered 50 Airbus A350-900s and, according to Clark, expects them “hopefully from August or September 2024”. This too is a delay of just over a year. Deliveries should be made faster. “Actually, it should have come in three and a half years, now you’re looking to do it in just two years.” However, there are currently problems with booth suppliers, for example with seats and monitors.
Interesting A350-1000 – on one condition
Clark does not rule out switching to the larger variant of the A350 either. “We will also see the A350-1000, but the Rolls-Royce engines have problems,” said the president of the Emirates. “If Rolls makes engines that stay on the wing for at least 2,000-3,000 cycles, we will seriously look into it.”
Regarding Qatar Airways’ criticism of the A350’s surface coating, Clark said of Airbus: “Admit there is a problem.” But you don’t see a safety issue, otherwise you wouldn’t buy the model from Emirates. You’ve had a number of introductions with the producer on “what are you going to do to fix this”.
