Dubai Airshow 2019 – Emirates has placed a firm order for 50 Airbus A350-900s, confirming an initial deal announced in February as part of the A380 production termination announcement.
The deal, valued at $16 billion at list prices, sees the airline increase their initial commitment from 40 to 50 aircraft, whilst removing the A330neo from the equation.
Attending the signing ceremony was His Higness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Guillaume Faury, Airbus’ Chief Executive Officer.
“Today, we are pleased to sign a firm order for 50 A350 XWBs, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. This follows a thorough review of various aircraft options and of our own fleet plans. It is Emirates’ long-standing strategy to invest in modern and efficient aircraft, and we are confident in the performance of the A350 XWB.”
HH Sheikh Ahmed
Emirates says the order completely replaces the initial commitment to purchase 40 A330neos and 30 A350s.
The Airbus A350 will be used by Emirates to serve a range of new markets, not only in their region but also on long-haul missions of up to 15 hours flying time from Dubai.
Installed in the cabin will be the latest products on offer, including premium economy, however details are limited for now.
Deliveries of the, Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered, aircraft are scheduled to take place in May 2023 and continue on through to 2028.
As stated by HH Sheikh Ahmed, the A350s will provide Emirates greater flexibility across their network in terms of capacity, range and deployment. The aircraft will be complimenting their existing fleet of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.
It is understood Emirates is still holding discussions with Boeing regarding a provisional order for 40 787 Dreamliners.
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